Expression of nestin in superior cervical ganglia of rats is influenced by gender and gonadectomy

Publication date: Available online 4 December 2014 Source:Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy Author(s): Natalija Filipović , Tomislav Mašek , Ivica Grković Neurons and glia arise from neural progenitor cells that express nestin. Although substantial changes in neuronal development were observed during the postnatal period, data concerning dynamics of nestin expression in the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) of rat during that period are lacking. It is known that gonadectomy and steroid hormones influence the development of neurons in the SCG during the postnatal period, but there are no data on how they influence the persistence of nestin expression in the SCG cells. The dynamics of nestin expression in the SCG, as well as the influence of gender and gonadectomy, was investigated in rats of three age groups. Three goups of male rats were sacrificed at 2, 3 and 6 months of age. Additional goups of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were gonadectomized at the age of two months. After 30 days, they were sacrificed and SCGs were harvested and processed immunohistochemically. Immunoreactivity for nestin in the SCG was observed in satellite glia, based on their expression of s100. The proportion of neurons that were encircled with nestin-immunoreactive satellite cells (nestin encircled neurons, NEN) decreased between 2nd and 3rd month of age (p<0.05). The proportion of NEN was greater in the NPY+ than in the NPY- subpopulation. The proportion of NEN in the SCG of fem...
Source: Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research