Neuronal Glial Plasticity In GnRH System: Novel Role Of PSA-NCAM

The adult nervous system has a remarkable capacity to undergo structural remodeling with the modification of immediate extracellular microenvironment and this structural neuroplasticity is remarkably involved in the functional adaptation of the central nervous system (CNS). These structural modifications are believed to serve as a morphological basis for changes in behavior and cellular activity. Due to their growing functional and clinical significance, the specificity, timeframe, as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms of adult brain neuroplasticity have become the focus of many recent studies. The notion of neuronal plasticity in the postnatal mammalian brain is now a well-established phenomenon, having been demonstrated in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and olfactory bulb. Growing evidence indicates that neuroendocrine plasticity is not only limited to prenatal development, but continues postnatally and even into adulthood. A well-documented example is the hypothalamus-neurophysial system (HNS) which undergoes dramatic morphological changes in response to physiological stimuli such as suckling and dehydration.