The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on functional recovery of spinal cord sectioned rats

Patil, Arun Angelo; Nagaraj, M. P.

doi:10.1007/bf01401807

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…It is now a relevant question because fetal brain, like the adult and neonatal brain [11,12], may also contain LH/hCG receptors. In addition, previous studies have demonstrated that treatment of rats with hCG after spinal cord resection resulted in a greater recovery than in the control animals [13] and that the adrenal medulla transplanted into the lateral ventricle of the brain grew better when hCG was administered [14]. For these reasons, we have tested the hypothesis that fetal rat brain neurons contain LH/hCG receptors and that exogenous hCG could act as a neurotrophic agent in primary neuronal cultures established from fetal Accepted December 9, 1996.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Neurons from Fetal Rat Brains Contain Functional Luteinizing Hormone/Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptors1

Al-Hader

Lei

Rao

1997

Biology of Reproduction

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Adult and neonatal rat brains contain functional LH/hCG receptors. These findings have led us to hypothesize that the fetal rat brain may also contain these receptors. To test this hypothesis, we isolated neurons from 19-day-old fetal rat brains and cultured them in chemically defined serum-free medium. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction amplified an expected 256-base pair size LH/hCG receptor fragment that could hybridize with a full-length LH/hCG receptor cDNA in Southern blotting. Northern blotting demonstrated that neurons contained a major 2.6 kilobase (kb) and a minor 4.3 kb transcript. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the neurons contained LH/hCG receptor immunostaining. Western immunoblotting showed that neurons contained an 80-kDa receptor protein that increased to a maximal level on Day 3 of culture and then gradually decreased until the 9th day of culture. Culturing neurons for 3 days in the presence of highly purified hCG resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the outgrowth of neurite processes and total cellular protein and a decrease in DNA fragmentation as compared to values in the corresponding controls. At the maximally effective hCG concentration, the number of neurite-bearing cells was increased by 53% and the total cellular protein by 60%, and DNA fragmentation decreased by 31%. In summary, this is the first study to demonstrate the presence of LH/hCG receptors and neurotrophic effects of hCG in fetal rat brain neurons. These findings imply that locally produced gonadotropins may possibly play a role in the growth and development of the fetal brain.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Neurons from Fetal Rat Brains Contain Functional Luteinizing Hormone/Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptors1

Al-Hader

Lei

Rao

1997

Biology of Reproduction

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“…hCG treatment has been shown to improve recovery of spinal cord-injured rats. 135,136 Motor neurons, among other cells in spinal cord, contain LH/hCG receptors. 153 Although we do not yet know how hCG works through these receptors in healing spinal cord injuries, it is noteworthy that hCG belongs to the same family as nerve growth factor, 2 hCG neurotropic and neurotransmitter properties, 155,156 and may suppress the immune responses perhaps through its actions on T cells, monocytes, and macrophages.…”

Section: Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Nongonadal LH/hCG Actions in Reproductive Biology and Medicine

Rao¹

2001

Semin Reprod Med

103

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Even though there were hints, it was not until 1986 that a number of laboratories worldwide began to demonstrate unequivocally the presence and functions of luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin (LH/hCG) receptors in various female and male nongonadal tissues. There was no species specificity but there was tissue specificity in the nongonadal LH/hCG receptor distribution. Nongonadal receptor levels were lower but they were regulated and processed and used signaling mechanisms similarly to gonadal receptors. Although still greater understanding is needed, gains made in the last decade demonstrate that nongonadal actions of LH/hCG are physiologically important and may have relevance to better understanding several diseases and their treatment. A recently developed LH receptor knockout model has begun to reaffirm and extend the importance of nongonadal LH signaling in the body.

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“…Culturing fetal brain neurons, in the presence of highly purified hCG, resulted in a dose-dependent increase of survival and of neurite outgrowth [9]. Treatment of rats with hCG after a complete transection of the spinal cord induced the presence of nerve fibers in the bridging tissue suggesting that hCG might be useful in functional recovery for patients with paraplegia [10]. Together with nerve growth factor, LH and hCG are member of the cysteine - knot growth-factor family; therefore observed neurotrophic effects might be linked to this specific structural motif [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chorionic Gonadotropin and Its Receptor Are Both Expressed in Human Retina, Possible Implications in Normal and Pathological Conditions

et al. 2012

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Extra-gonadal role of gonadotropins has been re-evaluated over the last 20 years. In addition to pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), the CNS has been clearly identified as a source of hCG acting locally to influence behaviour. Here we demonstrated that human retina is producing this gonadotropin that acts as a neuroactive molecule. Müller glial and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells are producing hCG that may affects neighbour cells expressing its receptor, namely cone photoreceptors. It was previously described that amacrine and retinal ganglion (RGC) cells are targets of the gonadotropin releasing hormone that control the secretion of all gonadotropins. Therefore our findings suggest that a complex neuroendocrine circuit exists in the retina, involving hCG secreting cells (glial and RPE), hCG targets (photoreceptors) and hCG-release controlling cells (amacrine and RGC). The exact physiological functions of this circuit have still to be identified, but the proliferation of photoreceptor-derived tumor induced by hCG demonstrated the need to control this neuroendocrine loop.

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The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on functional recovery of spinal cord sectioned rats

Cited by 13 publications

References 25 publications

Neurons from Fetal Rat Brains Contain Functional Luteinizing Hormone/Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptors1

Neurons from Fetal Rat Brains Contain Functional Luteinizing Hormone/Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptors1

An Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Nongonadal LH/hCG Actions in Reproductive Biology and Medicine

Chorionic Gonadotropin and Its Receptor Are Both Expressed in Human Retina, Possible Implications in Normal and Pathological Conditions

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