Age-associated and Cell-type Specific Changes in NGF Requirement for Neurite Regeneration From Trigeminal Ganglion Cells of the Shrew (Suncus murinus)

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Abstract
Low density (20-50 cells/cm2), dissociated cultures of trigeminal ganglion (TRG) cells of the shrew, were made in a serum-free medium, and neurite growth was compared across ages of the animal and between NGF-free and NGF-rich conditions. TRG cells from newborn shrew (0–3 days old), which grew long neurites in an NGF-rich medium, failed to grow any neurites in an NGF-free medium. In contrast, TRG cells from aged shrew (16–19 months), which grew neurites without NGF, exhibited no further increment in neurite length when NGF (50–200 nglml) was added to the culture medium. TRG cells from adult shrew (4–5 months) were revealed to be a mixture of NGF-dependent and NGF-independent cells. The NGF-dependent cells (20% of the population) had large-sized somata of 24–32 μm diameter (L-type cells) and 2–7 long neurites enriched with arborizations. The remaining NGF-independent cells (80%) had small-sized somata (15–25 μm, s-type cells), and grew 1–3 neurites with a small number of arborizations. These findings suggest that the primary sensory neuron of the shrew has a cell-type specific critical period in the aging process with respect to the requirement of NGF for neurite promotion.

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