Topic: extraocular motoneurons

The potassium-chloride cotransporter KCC2 is the main extruder of Cl- in neurons. Reduction of KCC2 levels disturbs the polarity and amplitude of postsynaptic inhibitory potentials induced by GABA and glycine. Motoneuron axotomy induces KCC2 downregulation, which seems to recover with target reinnervation. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that neurotrophic factors might play an important role in regulating KCC2 levels. In this context, we provided axotomized extraocular motoneurons with VEGF or BDNF to determine whether these factors influence the lesion-induced KCC2 downregulation. Adult rats w

Choline Acetyltransferase (ChAT) serves as a reliable marker for motoneurons, including those within the oculomotor (OCM) system located in the brainstem. Although ChAT activity increases in spinal cord motoneurons during postnatal development, the evolving expression profile of this enzyme within the OCM system across various life stages remains unexplored. Previous investigations have indicated an elevation in nerve growth factor (NGF) expression in the spinal cord during postnatal development, mirroring ChAT patterns. Ocular motoneurons exhibit a distinct dependence on NGF due to the consti