Nerve growth factor receptor-mediated transport from CSF labels cholinergic neurons: direct demonstration by a double-labeling study.

It has recently been shown that, following intraventricular administration, a monoclonal antibody directed against rat nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor is specifically accumulated bilaterally by numerous neurons of the basal forebrain. The labeled neurons have a morphology and topography which are characteristic of the magnocellular cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) system. This is also consistent with the evidence that CBF neurons have NGF receptors and respond to NGF in a variety of experimental situations. In the present report, a double-labeling technique is used to directly demonstrate that choline acetyltransferase-containing (and therefore cholinergic) neurons do in fact accumulate the anti-NGF receptor antibody from CSF.