Expression of neurotrophin-3 in the growing velvet antler of the red deer Cervus elaphus

Abstract

Antlers are organs of bone which regenerate each year from the heads of male deer. In addition to bone, support tissues such as nerves also regenerate. Nerves must grow at up to 1 cm/day. The control of this rapid growth of nerves is unknown. We examined the relative expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA in the different tissues of the growing antler tip and along the epidermal/ dermal layer of the antler shaft of the red deer Cervus elaphus, using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expression in the tip was found to be highest in the epidermal/dermal layer and lowest in the cartilaginous layer in all developmental stages examined. These data correlate well with the density and pattern of innervation of these tissues. Along the epidermal/dermal layer of the antler shaft, expression was highest in the segments subjacent to the tip and lowest near the base, arguing for differences in the temporal expression of NT-3 in these segments. The expression of NT-3 in cells isolated from the different layers of 60-day antlers did not mirror that observed when whole tissues were used and may suggest regional specificity of NT-3 expression within antler tissues.

Nerve Growth Factor mRNA Expression in the Regenerating Antler Tip of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

“…Very little is known, however, about nerve regeneration and antler innervation during antler renewal. A previous study from our group [12] revealed that neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), a nerve trophic factor, is widely expressed in the growing antlers. NT-3 expression levels are closely correlated with the density and pattern of innervation of different antler tissue types, being highest in the segment immediately subjacent to the tip and lowest in the cartilage layer.…”

Study on the Varying Patterns of Total Phospholipids, Selenium, Phosphorus, Reducing Sugar and Total Sugar, Hydrolyzed Amino Acids in the Velvet Antler of Northeast Sika Deer in Growth Period

“…Amino acids are organic component velvet topped the content of nutrients, the highest glycine; amino acids are the basic components of living organism tissue cells for life events play a pivotal role. If the body lacks any kind of essential amino acids, it can cause physiological dysfunction, affecting the normal antibody metabolism [18], leading to disease. Similarly, if the body lacks certain non-essential amino acids, it will produce antibodies metabolic disorders.…”

Wound healing by a 3.2 kDa recombinant polypeptide from velvet antler of Cervus nippon Temminck

“…The unique natural regeneration activity of deer antlers signifies there are probably growth factors for cartilage, vascular, nervous, epidermis and other tissues (Garcia et al 1997;Ko et al 1986;Roh et al 2010). Recently, the components and pharmacological effects of deer antlers have been examined.…”