title: Use of an experimental autoimmune model to define nerve growth factor dependency of peripheral and central substance P-containing neurons in the rat.
abstract: Rats exposed to maternal antibodies against nerve growth factor (NGF) in utero and in milk have been used to investigate the developmental dependency of various substance P-containing neurons on NGF. Substance P and other peptides were measured by radioimmunoassays. The substance P content of sensory ganglia, spinal cord, and skin was depleted 40 to 60% in anti-NGF-treated rats. These results demonstrate the NGF dependence of substance P-containing neurons in sensory ganglia. Opiate binding in the spinal cord was not changed despite the large depletion in substance P: the Bmax and KD were the same in control and treated animals. The results suggest that opiate receptors may not be located presynaptically on substance P-containing primary afferents. Among the peripheral tissues which were assayed (ileum, submaxillary gland, retina, and adrenal), substance P decreased only in the adrenal, suggesting innervation by a NGF-dependent substance P-containing neuron. No changes were detected in the substance P content of nine different brain regions, in agreement with previous observations on the lack of effect of NGF on central neurons.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005048:Etorphine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D013373:Substance P; D005048:Etorphine