Figure 7

BDNF increases the number of cells with neuronal morphology in cultures of dispersed St. 29/30 (E6.5) sympathetic ganglia. (A) Cells from St. 29/30 (E6.5) lumbar sympathetic ganglia were cultured in control medium (closed squares) or control medium containing 200 ng/ml BDNF (closed diamonds) and the number of cells with neurites longer than two cell body diameters was scored under phase contrast optics at 24, 48, and 72 hours. A 1.6 fold increase in the number of neurons at each time point was seen with BDNF. Data represent mean ± SEM of six wells from two independent platings. *Denotes statistical significance (p < 0.05), Two-way ANOVA. (B) Cells from St 29/30 (E6.5) sympathetic ganglia were cultured with increasing concentrations of BDNF. The number of neurons was counted at the time BDNF was added to the cultures and 24 hours after BDNF was added to the cultures. Data correspond to the starting number of neurons subtracted from the number of neurons counted at 24 hours. Data represent the mean ± SEM of six wells from two independent platings.