NGF levels decrease in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion after spinal hemisection.
To examine changes in nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after spinal injury, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-175 g were given spinal hemisections. NGF content was measured at various post-surgical times and compared with naive controls (n = 4 per time point) in the spinal cord, DRG and blood serum by ELISA techniques (Promega). Levels of NGF in the blood serum were significantly increased 8-fold at 48h but were significantly decreased in the spinal cord and DRG by 2- to 4-fold until 7 days postsurgery (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Contrary to accepted dogma, spinal injury results in decreased levels of NGF in the spinal cord and DRG following spinal injury.
Bennett
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Marine Biomedical Institute and Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1069, USA.
Taglialatela
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Perez-Polo
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Hulsebosch
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D000818:Animals; D002818:Cordotomy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors