Bc. Steinbacher et I. Nadelhaft, INCREASED LEVELS OF NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR IN THE URINARY-BLADDER AND HYPERTROPHY OF DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION NEURONS IN THE DIABETIC RAT, Brain research, 782(1-2), 1998, pp. 255-260
The level of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the streptozotocin (STZ)-dia
betic rat was measured at approximately weekly intervals after STZ ind
uction, using an ELISA assay technique. In addition, the area profiles
of L6-S1, and L1-L2 dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRG), labelled by f
ast blue dye injected into the bladder, were measured at the same week
ly intervals. Compared to control animals, the levels of NGF rose rapi
dly to a maximum at one week and then slowly declined over the next th
ree weeks. The areas of the DRGs increased to a peak after which they
also started to decline. The peak increase in DRG area profiles was de
layed relative to the peak level of bladder NGF. The data suggest that
bladder NGF is transported retrogradely to the DRG neurons where it t
ransforms the cell economy to cause an increase in size. (C) 1998 Else
vier Science B.V.