The contribution of low affinity NGF receptor (p75NGFR) to delayed neuronal death after ischemia in the gerbil hippocampus

The implication of low affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75(NGFR)), which is believed to play a pro-apoptotic role, in delayed neuronal death (DND) after ischemia in the gerbil hippocampus was investigated. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis revealed that the presence of p75 NGFR immunoreactivity (IR) was negligible in the hippocampus of the sham control gerbil but appeared clearly in CA1 neurons 3 and 4 days after Fi-min transient ischemia, Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive nuclei appeared when the level of P75(NGFR) IR increased. Furthermore, almost all TUNEL-positive CA1 neurons also co-stained for P75(NGFR). These results suggest that p75(NGFR) contributes to DND after ischemia by an apoptotic mechanism.