title: Increased NGF-like activity in young but not aged rat hippocampus after septal lesions.
abstract: Sympathetic sprouting in the hippocampus following septal denervation is thought to involve nerve growth factor (NGF). This sprouting response is dramatically reduced in aged rats, but immunological assays reveal no age-related decline in hippocampal NGF levels. In the present study, both a bioassay and an immunoassay were used to examine the effect of a medial septal lesion on hippocampal NGF levels in young adult (2-5 months) and aged (24 months) Fischer 344 rats. No significant differences were detected between normal young and aged rats, in agreement with earlier results. Following medial septal lesions, however, only young rats demonstrated significant increases in hippocampal NGF-like activity. These results support the hypothesis that the age-related deficit in sympathetic sprouting results from an attenuated neurotrophic response to hippocampal denervation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267-0515.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weingartner
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Crutcher
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D003714:Denervation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins