The role of p75 neurotrophin receptor in hippocampal neurogenesis impairment after cranial irradiation / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the role of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in the irradiation-induced hippocampal neurogenesis impairment.@*Methods@#Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were subject to whole brain irradiation with a single dose of 10 Gy 4 MeV electron beam. At 1 month after irradiation, the hippocampal tissues of the rats were collected. Western blot was used to detect the changes in the expression level of p75NTR protein. Immunofluorescence confocal laser microscopy was performed to observe the variations in the hippocampal neurogenesis. The stereotatic method was adopted for intra-hippocampal injection of AAV-shp75NTR to specifically knock out p75NTR.The relationship between p75NTR and hippocampal neurogenesis was analyzed.@*Results@#Western blot demonstrated that the expression of p75NTR protein was significantly up-regulated by 43.8% after irradiation (P<0.05). Immunofluorescent staining showed that the quantity of BrdU+ NeuN+ cells in rats was significantly decreased by 81.5% at 1 month after irradiation compared with that in the control group (P<0.01). After the specific knockout of p75NTR, hippocampal neurogenesis was obviously protected.@*Conclusion@#p75NTR plays a pivotal role in the irradiation-induced hippocampal neurogenesis impairment.