NGF receptor immunoreactivity in rat brain: topographic distribution and response to entorhinal ablation.

Nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) immunoreactivity was distributed in neuronal cell bodies, axons and/or dendrites of cholinergic and non-cholinergic structures of the rat brain. The dentate gyrus of normal animals showed immunostained fibers mainly in the supragranular band, whereas following entorhinal ablation a greater density of immunostained fibers appeared in the outer molecular layer and a wider clear zone was apparent in the inner molecular layer. The NGFR-positive fibers followed the pattern of reorganization of septal fibers visualized with acetylcholinesterase staining. The results suggest that the NGF/NGFR may have a role in reorganization of septal fibers following entohinal lesion.