CHANGES IN MOTO-NEURONOTROPHIC FACTOR AND ITS RECEPTOR IN TONGUE MUSCLE POST-DENERVATION OF THE HYPOGLOSSAL NERVE / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

We have used our anti-MNTF monoclonal antibody (MNTF-McAb) and MNTF-anti- idiotypic monoclonal antibody (MNTF-Id-McAb) to study the changes in localization and quantities of MNTF and its receptor in tongue muscles of 30 adult rats after 4 days, 2, 3 and 5 weeks, and 2 and 5 months of post-denervation of the hypoglossal nerve. The LSM VIDAS image analysis results revealed that 4 days post-denervation, the MNTF content in tongue muscles of the denervated side had reduced to 75%-80%as compared to the control intact side 100%, however, the reduction of MNTF receptor was insignificant; 2-3 weeks post- denervation, the contents of MNTF and its receptor in the denervated side were significantly reduced to 65%-70% and 50%-55%, respectively; 5 weeks post- denervation, the contents of MNTF and its receptor had started to increase especially for the receptor; and gradually the contents of both MNTF and its receptor in denervated side had recovered and reached to a similar levels as in the control side at 2 months and 5 months post-denervation. These results indicated that MNTF and its receptor are synthesized by the tongue muscle cells and their syntheses are regulated by the hypoglossal nerve; and that there is a close relationship between MNTF and its receptor with the regeneration of hypoglossal nerve.