PACAP expression and neural regeneration in the earthworm central nervous system.
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1
Departments of General Zology , University of Pécs, Hungary
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2
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Debrecen, Hungary
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3
Departments of Anatomy, University of Pécs, Hungary
Some earthworm species have enormous capability to regenerate lost body parts and the regeneration is mediated by neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and neuropeptides. Recently, we have shown the distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) –like and PAC1-receptor like immunoreactivity in the nervous system of the earthworm, E. fetida. It is now well-established that pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neurotrophic factor, playing important roles in the development of the nervous system and regeneration of neural processes in vertebrate animals. Based on the apparent evolutionary conservation of PACAP and on the several common mechanisms of vertebrate and invertebrate nervous regeneration, the question was raised whether PACAP has any role in the regeneration of the earthworm nervous system. As a first step, we studied the distribution, concentration, and time-course of PACAP-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of control and brain extirpated animals. A strong upregulation of PACAP-like immunoreactivity was observed in the subesophageal ganglion after brain extirpation as determined by radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry. A decreasing gradient of PACAP-like molecules from the subesophageal ganglion to circumpharyngeal connectives was found in regenerating earthworms if the connectives were cut. If circumpharyngeal connectives were cauterized PACAP-like compounds accumulated in the connectives, suggesting that neural processes could transport these compounds to the site of regeneration. Our present results show that the injury of the central nervous system stimulates the synthesis of PACAP/PACAP-like peptides in neural structures of earthworms, suggesting trophic functions of these compounds in earthworm neural structures similarly to vertebrate species.
Conference:
12th Meeting of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society, Budapest, Hungary, 22 Jan - 24 Jan, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Developmental neurobiology and subcortical functions
Citation:
Horvath
B,
Boros
A,
Pollák
E,
Nemeth
J,
Reglodi
D and
Molnar
L
(2009). PACAP expression and neural regeneration in the earthworm central nervous system..
Front. Syst. Neurosci.
Conference Abstract:
12th Meeting of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.01.2009.04.058
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Received:
02 Mar 2009;
Published Online:
02 Mar 2009.
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Correspondence:
Balint Horvath, Departments of General Zology , University of Pécs, Pecs, Hungary, nunciorama@gmail.com