A pathology of brain serotonergic (5-HT) systems has been found in psychiatric disturbances, normal aging and in
neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's disease. Despite the clinical importance of
5-HT, little is known about the endogenous factors that have neurotrophic influences upon
5-HT neurons. The present study examined whether
chronic pain parenchymal administration of the
neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (
BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) or
NGF could prevent the severe degenerative loss of serotonergic axons normally caused by the selective
5-HT neurotoxin p-chloroamphetamine (PCA). The
neurotrophins (5-12 micrograms/d) or the control substances (
cytochrome c or PBS vehicle) were continuously infused into the rat frontoparietal cortex using an osmotic minipump. One week later, rats were subcutaneously administered
PCA (10 mg/kg) or vehicle, and the
5-HT innervation was evaluated after two more weeks of
neurotrophin infusion. As revealed with
5-HT immunocytochemistry,
BDNF infusions into the neocortex of intact (non-PCA-lesioned) rats caused a substantial increase in
5-HT axon density in a 3 mm diameter region surrounding the
cannula tip. In PCA-lesioned rats, intracortical infusions of
BDNF completely prevented the severe
neurotoxin-induced loss of
5-HT axons near the infusion
cannula. In contrast, cortical infusions of vehicle or the control
protein cytochrome c did not alter the density of serotonergic axons in intact animals, nor did control infusions prevent the loss of
5-HT axons in PCA-treated rats. NT-3 caused only a modest sparing of the
5-HT innervation in PCA-treated rats, and
NGF failed to prevent the loss of
5-HT axon density. The immunocytochemical data were supported by neurochemical evaluations which showed that
BDNF attenuated the PCA-induced loss of
5-HT and
5-HIAA contents and 3H-5-HT uptake near the infusion
cannula. Thus,
BDNF can promote the sprouting of mature, uninjured serotonergic axons and dramatically enhance the survival or sprouting of
5-HT axons normally damaged by the serotonergic
neurotoxin PCA.