AAS ›› 2015, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 443-449.doi: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2015.04.002

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Morphological changes and expression of nerve growth factor of hippocampus in different ages of Bactrian camels

ZHANG Yuan1 XIE Li1 WANG Chang-jiang1 YUE Ming-xia1 WANG De-gui2 SHAO Bao-ping1 WANG Jian-lin 1*   

  1. 1. School of Life Sciences and Gansu Key Laboratory of Biomonitoring and Bioremediation for Environmental Pollution, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; 2. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
  • Received:2015-01-12 Revised:2015-04-06 Online:2015-08-06 Published:2015-08-06
  • Contact: WANG Jian-lin E-mail:zyljxmm@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate morphological changes of neurons and the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in different areas of hippocampus in fetal, young and adult Bactrian camels. Methods Nissl staining was used to observe morphological changes of pyramidal cells in CA1-CA3 areas and granule cells of dentate gyrus. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of NGF of hippocampus in fetal, young and adult Bactrian camels. Results The results of Nissl staining showed that from fetal Bactrian camel to young Bactrian camel and to adult Bactrian camel, pyramidal cells in CA1-CA3 areas and granular cells in teh dentate gyrus enlarged in volume but decreased gradually in density with the growth of Bactrian camel. The proportion of nuclei in neurons also decreased. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression level of NGF in pyramidal cells of adult camel was significantly higher than the other two periods of Bactrian camel (P<0.01). Conversely, the expression level of NGF in granule cells increased consistently from fetal camel to adult camel. Conclusion From fetal Bactrian camel to adult Bactrian camel, the main neurons of hippocampus continuously become mature: neurons change from small and global cells which have little cytoplasm, to neurons which are large and have specific morphology and function. The high expression level of NGF in hippocampus of adult camel indicates that NGF could regulate differentiated neurons, propel morphological and functional changes in neurons, which will consequently contribute to the improvement of learning and memory functions of hippocampus in Bactrian camel.

Key words: Hippocampus, Development, Pyramidal cells, Granule cells, Nerve growth factor, Bactrian camel