Astroglial and fibroblast growth factors have neurotrophic functions for cultured peripheral and central nervous system neurons.

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.84.15.5459
• Publication Date: 2006-05-31T10:23:01Z
• Authors: K Unsicker; H Reichert-Preibsch; R Schmidt; B Pettmann; G Labourdette; M Sensenbrenner
• Keywords: Central Nervous System; Glia Maturation Factor; Neurons; 0303 health sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Cell Survival; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Chick Embryo; Choline O-Acetyltransferase; 3. Good health; Fibroblast Growth Factors; 03 medical and health sciences; Spinal Cord; Animals; Peripheral Nerves; Cells, Cultured

Embryonic and neonatal neurons require specific trophic supplements for their survival and the induction of transmitter-synthesizing enzymes in vivo and in vitro. Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF, bFGF) and the closely related astroglial growth factors AGF-1 and AGF-2 were studied for putative neurotrophic functions using dissociated, highly neuron-enriched cultures from chick and rat peripheral ganglia and central nervous system tissues. Embryonic chick ciliary ganglion neurons were the only peripheral neurons that responded to bFGF and AGF-2 by enhanced survival equivalent to that obtained with ciliary neurotrophic factor. Half-maximal effects were achieved with bFGF at 360 pg/ml or AGF-2 at 3 ng/ml. Small effects seen with aFGF could be potentiated by adding heparin at 1 microgram/ml. bFGF, but not ciliary neurotropic factor, also promoted neuron survival after the factor was bound to polyornithine and laminin. Both AGF-2 and ciliary neurotropic factor induced choline acetyltransferase activity during 48 hr. AGFs and FGFs also enhanced the long-term survival of embryonic chick spinal cord neurons, including motoneurons that had been retrogradely labeled with rhodamine isothiocyanate. These results demonstrate the potency of a class of mitogenic growth factors as neurotrophic agents for embryonic ciliary ganglion and spinal cord neurons--adding to the emerging evidence that mitogenic and neuronal growth factors are not strictly separate entities.