title: Retinal ganglion cell response to nerve growth factor in the regenerating and intact visual system of the goldfish (Carassius auratus).
abstract: Light and electron microscopic observations indicated that 1 microgram NGF injected into the goldfish eye at the time of optic nerve crush initiated significant retinal ganglion cell body, nuclear and nucleolar hypertrophy when compared to controls at 7 days post-axotomy (7 DPA). In addition, the ultrastructural morphometric values for NGF-treated retinal ganglion cells at 7 DPA were not significantly different from the normal hypertrophy found in 14 DPA controls. Therefore, it appears that NGF treatment caused an acceleration of the normal cell body response to axotomy by about a week. These responses were found to be specific for the NGF molecule and dose-dependent over a 100-1000 ng NGF concentration range. In contrast to the lesioned state, NGF treatment had no significant influence on intact, non-lesioned retinal ganglion cell morphology as measured by morphometric analysis. These results strongly indicate that the responsiveness of the goldfish retinal ganglion cells to NGF is initiated by the axotomy. Eyes treated with NGF in the same manner that elicited the dramatic retinal ganglion cell morphological changes at 7 DPA could also be shown to significantly increase neurite outgrowth from retinal explants cultured at the same post-operative period (i.e. 7 DPA).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006054:Goldfish; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors