title: NGF decreases isolation-induced aggressive behavior, while increasing adrenal volume, in adult male mice.
abstract: Intravenous administration of highly purified murine nerve growth factor (NGF, either 15 or 30 micrograms/subject/day) for six consecutive days to adult male mice of the CD-1 strain markedly influenced a number of items of aggressive behavior induced by 5 weeks of individual housing. Control mice received the same doses of cytochrome c. During a 20-min fighting session on day 7, both NGF-treated groups showed longer Latency to the first Attack, while Total Attacking Time and Aggressive grooming were significantly lower when compared to control animals. Twenty-four h later, adrenals from the NGF- and cytochrome c-treated groups were dissected and analyzed by means of a Vidas Image-Analyzer. NGF administration produced a remarkable dose-dependent increase in both adrenal weight and volume (particularly in the medullary zone), supporting the hypothesis that adrenals represent a possible target for the NGF release from submaxillary salivary glands occurring upon intraspecific fighting.
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Pathophysiology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maestripieri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aloe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alleva
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012931:Social Environment; D012934:Social Isolation
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors