Nerve growth factor induces volume increase and enhances tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis in chemically axotomized sympathetic ganglia of newborn rats.
Concomitant daily treatment of newborn rats for a 2-week to 1-month period with 10 mug/g of body weight of nerve growth factor and 100 mug/g of body weight of 6-hydroxydopamine produces in the cell bodies of adrenergic neurons the characteristic effects of the growth factor but in the nerve terminals the characteristic effects of 6-hydroxydopamine. The dual opposite effects result in a striking volume increase of sympathetic ganglia which far exceeds that produced by nerve growth factor alone. The selective induction of tyrosine hydroxylase [L-tyrosine, tetrahydropteridine:oxygen oxidoreductase (3-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.16.2] in these chemically axotomized adrenergic neurons is even more pronounced than that produced by nerve growth factor alone in intact neurons.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013562:Sympathectomy; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase