Memory impairment and morphological changes in rats after continuous infusion of active fragment of anti-nerve growth factor-antibody.
We report here that the specific Fab' fragment of anti-nerve growth factor (NGF)-antibody (anti-NGF, 12, 120 and 400 micrograms/4 weeks, i.c.v.) impairs learning and memory. The goal latency of the control rats in water maze task was rapidly shortened by training compared to those of the anti-NGF-treated rats. The degree of reduction in movement counts of the anti-NGF-treated rats in habituation task was significantly smaller than that of the control rats. However, the step-through latency of the anti-NGF-treated rats was not significantly shorter than that of the control rats. With regard to the choline acetyltransferase activity, no effects were observed in any of the brain regions. Anti-NGF treatment altered nuclear morphology in the hippocampus and parietal cortex. As a result, it seems that the anti-NGF-induced amnesia could be due to an impairment of nuclear morphology.
Nabeshima
T
T
Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan.
Ogawa
S
S
Yamada
K
K
Ishimaru
H
H
Fuji
K
K
Kameyama
T
T
Fukuta
T
T
Takeuchi
R
R
Hayashi
K
K
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase