Adrenal chromaffin cells as multipotential neurons for autografts

Abstract

The chromaffin cell grafts in the Parkinsonism models is used primarily as the living depots of catecholamines. Because of their phenotypic plasticity, however, chromaffin cells have considerably more potential as donor tissue than has been utilized heretofore. These cells can be maintained in their normal chromaffin phenotype by the addition of corticosteroids, and they can grow neurites when the steroid is removed and nerve growth factor (NGF) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is added. Moreover, when the appropriate conditioned medium (CM) is supplied along with NGF, the efficiency of conversion of neonatal chromaffin cells into sympathetic neurons is enhanced and chromaffin cells taken from adult rats can also be converted. In addition, the chromaffin cell-derived neurons can be converted to the cholinergic phenotype when an instructive differentiation factor purified from cultured heart cells is added. These converted, cholinergic sympathetic neurons can form functional cholinergic synapses.

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