Source Paper
Basic FGF in adult rat brain: cellular distribution and response to entorhinal lesion and fimbria-fornix transection
F Gomez-Pinilla, JW Lee, CW Cotman
Journal of Neuroscience • 1992
Source Paper
F Gomez-Pinilla, JW Lee, CW Cotman
Journal of Neuroscience • 1992
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent trophic factor for neurons and astrocytes and recently has been implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. In order to better understand the role of bFGF in normal brain function and during pathology, we have analyzed its anatomical distribution and its response to injury in the CNS. Double-staining immunohistochemistry showed that bFGF immunoreactivity was localized in astrocytes, in select neuronal populations, and occasionally in microglial cells throughout the normal rat brain. Neuronal populations that showed bFGF immunoreactivity included septohippocampal nucleus, cingulate cortex, subfield CA2 of the hippocampus, cerebellar Purkinje cells, cerebellar deep nuclei, facial nerve nucleus, and the motor and spinal subdivisions of the trigeminal nucleus and facial nerve nucleus. The pattern of bFGF immunoreactivity in the hippocampus was examined following entorhinal cortex lesion, or fimbria-fornix transection. After entorhinal cortex lesion, bFGF immunoreactivity increased in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus ipsilateral to the lesion. The lesion effect on bFGF immunoreactivity was expressed as an increase in the number of bFGF astrocytes, as an increase in the intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes, and as an increase of bFGF immunoreactivity in the surrounding extracellular matrix, relative to the contralateral side. The time course and pattern of reorganization paralleled the sprouting of septal cholinergic terminals in response to the same type of lesion, suggesting that bFGF may play an important role in lesion-induced plasticity. After transection of the fimbria-fornix, chronic infusion of bFGF appeared to preserve NGF receptors on neurons within the medial septal complex and, as previously reported, prevent the death of medial septal neurons. Therefore, it appears that bFGF infusion, which has been shown to increase the synthesis of NGF by astrocytes (Yoshida and Gage, 1991), also helps enable neurons to respond to NGF. This suggests that after injury bFGF may participate in a cascade of neurotrophic events, directly and indirectly facilitating neuronal repair and/or promoting neuronal survival.
Objective: To analyze the anatomical distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the rat brain and its response to injury, specifically examining how chronic bFGF infusion following fimbria-fornix transection affects NGF receptors and neuronal survival in the medial septal complex
This is a Fimbria-Fornix Transection with bFGF Infusion protocol using rat as the model organism. The procedure involves 8 procedural steps, 2 equipment items, 2 materials. Extracted from a 1992 paper published in Journal of Neuroscience.
Model and subjects
rat • not specified • unknown • adult • not specified
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Tissue preparation and sectioning • Double-staining immunohistochemistry • Entorhinal cortex lesion
Primary readouts
Key equipment and reagents
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Prepare rat brain tissue for immunohistochemical analysis
Note: Tissue from normal rat brain and lesioned animals
“Double-staining immunohistochemistry showed that bFGF immunoreactivity was localized in astrocytes, in select neuronal populations”
Perform double-staining immunohistochemistry to identify bFGF immunoreactivity in different cell types throughout the normal rat brain
Note: Identifies bFGF localization in astrocytes, neuronal populations, and microglial cells
“Double-staining immunohistochemistry showed that bFGF immunoreactivity was localized in astrocytes, in select neuronal populations, and occasionally in microglial cells throughout the normal rat brain”
Create lesion in entorhinal cortex and examine resulting changes in bFGF immunoreactivity in hippocampus
Note: Lesion is ipsilateral; contralateral side serves as control
“The pattern of bFGF immunoreactivity in the hippocampus was examined following entorhinal cortex lesion”
Perform transection of the fimbria-fornix in experimental animals
Note: Surgical procedure to create the injury model
“After transection of the fimbria-fornix, chronic infusion of bFGF appeared to preserve NGF receptors”
Initiate chronic infusion of bFGF following fimbria-fornix transection into the medial septal complex
Note: bFGF infusion is designed to preserve NGF receptors and prevent neuronal death
“chronic infusion of bFGF appeared to preserve NGF receptors on neurons within the medial septal complex and prevent the death of medial septal neurons”
Quantify changes in bFGF immunoreactivity following lesion, measuring number of bFGF astrocytes, intensity of immunoreactivity, and extracellular matrix localization
Note: Comparisons made between ipsilateral and contralateral sides
“The lesion effect on bFGF immunoreactivity was expressed as an increase in the number of bFGF astrocytes, as an increase in the intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes, and as an increase of bFGF immunoreactivity in the surrounding extracellular matrix”
Examine whether chronic bFGF infusion preserves NGF receptors on neurons in the medial septal complex
Note: Determines if bFGF enables neurons to respond to NGF
“chronic infusion of bFGF appeared to preserve NGF receptors on neurons within the medial septal complex”
Evaluate medial septal neuron survival following fimbria-fornix transection with and without bFGF infusion
Note: bFGF infusion prevents death of medial septal neurons
“prevent the death of medial septal neurons”
This section explains what the experiment is doing, which readouts matter, what the data artifacts usually look like, and how the analysis should flow from raw capture to reported result.
To analyze the anatomical distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the rat brain and its response to injury, specifically examining how chronic bFGF infusion following fimbria-fornix transection affects NGF receptors and neuronal survival in the medial septal complex
Objective
To analyze the anatomical distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the rat brain and its response to injury, specifically examining how chronic bFGF infusion following fimbria-fornix transection affects NGF receptors and neuronal survival in the medial septal complex
Subjects
From paperrat • not specified • unknown • adult • not specified
Cohort notes
From paperNormal rat brain tissue examined; fimbria-fornix transection performed on experimental animals
Tissue preparation and sectioning (not specified)
Double-staining immunohistochemistry (not specified)
Entorhinal cortex lesion (not specified)
Fimbria-fornix transection (not specified)
BFGF immunoreactivity localization in astrocytes, neurons, and microglial cells
From paperComparison of bFGF immunoreactivity between ipsilateral and contralateral sides following lesion; assessment of time course and pattern of reorganization; evaluation of NGF receptor expression and neuronal survival with and without bFGF infusion
Artifact type
Representative image panels with region or marker comparisons
Comparison focus
Compare staining intensity, structure, or cell counts across matched conditions
Changes in bFGF immunoreactivity following entorhinal cortex lesion
From paperComparison of bFGF immunoreactivity between ipsilateral and contralateral sides following lesion; assessment of time course and pattern of reorganization; evaluation of NGF receptor expression and neuronal survival with and without bFGF infusion
Artifact type
Representative image panels with region or marker comparisons
Comparison focus
Compare staining intensity, structure, or cell counts across matched conditions
Number of bFGF-positive astrocytes
From paperComparison of bFGF immunoreactivity between ipsilateral and contralateral sides following lesion; assessment of time course and pattern of reorganization; evaluation of NGF receptor expression and neuronal survival with and without bFGF infusion
Artifact type
Representative image panels with region or marker comparisons
Comparison focus
Compare staining intensity, structure, or cell counts across matched conditions
Intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes
From paperComparison of bFGF immunoreactivity between ipsilateral and contralateral sides following lesion; assessment of time course and pattern of reorganization; evaluation of NGF receptor expression and neuronal survival with and without bFGF infusion
Artifact type
Representative image panels with region or marker comparisons
Comparison focus
Compare staining intensity, structure, or cell counts across matched conditions
BFGF immunoreactivity localization in astrocytes, neurons, and microglial cells
From paperRaw artifact
Field or section images captured from matched samples
Processed artifact
Selected representative panels with quantified intensity, counts, or area measurements
Final reported form
Per-group imaging summaries with representative figures and quantified endpoints
Changes in bFGF immunoreactivity following entorhinal cortex lesion
From paperRaw artifact
Field or section images captured from matched samples
Processed artifact
Selected representative panels with quantified intensity, counts, or area measurements
Final reported form
Per-group imaging summaries with representative figures and quantified endpoints
Number of bFGF-positive astrocytes
From paperRaw artifact
Field or section images captured from matched samples
Processed artifact
Selected representative panels with quantified intensity, counts, or area measurements
Final reported form
Per-group imaging summaries with representative figures and quantified endpoints
Intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes
From paperRaw artifact
Field or section images captured from matched samples
Processed artifact
Selected representative panels with quantified intensity, counts, or area measurements
Final reported form
Per-group imaging summaries with representative figures and quantified endpoints
Acquisition
Collect raw experimental outputs with enough metadata to preserve sample identity, condition, and timing.
Preprocessing / cleaning
Comparison of bFGF immunoreactivity between ipsilateral and contralateral sides following lesion; assessment of time course and pattern of reorganization; evaluation of NGF receptor expression and neuronal survival with and without bFGF infusion
Scoring or quantification
Quantify the primary readouts for this experiment: BFGF immunoreactivity localization in astrocytes, neurons, and microglial cells; Changes in bFGF immunoreactivity following entorhinal cortex lesion; Number of bFGF-positive astrocytes; Intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes.
Statistical comparison
Statistical method not yet structured for this page.
Reporting output
Report representative outputs alongside summary comparisons for BFGF immunoreactivity localization in astrocytes, neurons, and microglial cells, Changes in bFGF immunoreactivity following entorhinal cortex lesion, Number of bFGF-positive astrocytes, Intensity of bFGF immunoreactivity within astrocytes.
Source links and direct wording from the methods section for validation and deeper review.
Citation
F Gomez-Pinilla et al. (1992). Basic FGF in adult rat brain: cellular distribution and response to entorhinal lesion and fimbria-fornix transection. Journal of Neuroscience
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