Galanin in neuro(glio)genesis: Expression of galanin and receptors by progenitor cells in vivo and in vitro and effects of galanin on neurosphere proliferation

Abstract

Considerable recent evidence suggests that in addition to its neuromodulatory role, galanin, like several other neuropeptides, also plays an important trophic role during development and after adult neural injury. Studies in our laboratory have identified high levels of galanin and galanin receptor expression in the subventricular zone, rostral migratory stream, subgranular zone of dentate gyrus and the medial corpus callosum - which include the main sites for continuing cell proliferation in both adult and developing rat brain. Galanin expression was also strongly and transiently induced in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) throughout the neocortex and corpus callosum by a benign phys..