Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2016, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (4): 597-603.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.180744

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Denervated hippocampus provides a favorable microenvironment for neuronal differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells

Lei Zhang#, Xiao Han#, Xiang Cheng, Xue-feng Tan, He-yan Zhao, Xin-hua Zhang*   

  1. Department of Human Anatomy, Institute of Neurobiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2016-02-22 Online:2016-04-30 Published:2016-04-30
  • Contact: Xin-hua Zhang, Ph.D., zhangxinhua@ntu.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by grants of Jiangsu Natural College Foundation of China, No. 13KJB310010, 14KJB310015; the Natural Foundation of Nantong University of China, No. 14ZY022.

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Abstract:

Fimbria-fornix transection induces both exogenous and endogenous neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons in the hippocampus.
This indicates that the denervated hippocampus provides an environment for neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells. However, the
pathways and mechanisms in this process are still unclear. Seven days after fimbria fornix transection, our reverse transcription polymerase
chain reaction, western blot assay, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay results show a significant increase in ciliary neurotrophic
factor mRNA and protein expression in the denervated hippocampus. Moreover, neural stem cells derived from hippocampi of fetal (embryonic
day 17) Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with ciliary neurotrophic factor for 7 days, with an increased number of microtubule
associated protein-2-positive cells and decreased number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells detected. Our results show that ciliary
neurotrophic factor expression is up-regulated in the denervated hippocampus, which may promote neuronal differentiation of neural
stem cells in the denervated hippocampus.

Key words: nerve regeneration, ciliary neurotrophic factor, hippocampus, neural stem cells, neurons, neuronal differentiation, fimbria-fornix transection, neural regeneration