title: [Expression of NGF and TrkA in the brain of rats with intrauterine growth retardation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the mechanism of brain development delay in rats with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) by examining the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and tyrosine kinase receptor A (Trk A) in the brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two pregnant rats were randomly fed with a normal diet (control group) or lower protein diet (IUGR group) during pregnancy (n=16 each). The pup rats were sacrificed at 0, 7, 14 or 21 days after birth. The protein levels of NGF and TrkA in the brain were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of NGF and TrkA in the brain in pup rats of the IUGR group were significantly lower than those in the control group 0, 7, 14 and 21 days after birth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decreased expression of protein levels of NGF and TrkA in the brain might be one of the causes of brain development delay in IUGR rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hosipital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Bao-Ping
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA