REPEATED INJECTIONS OF NICERGOLINE INCREASE THE NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR LEVEL IN THE AGED RAT-BRAIN

We studied whether nicergoline, clinically active in chronic cerebrova scular insufficiency, influences nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in t he rat brain. In young Fischer rats, repeated intraperitoneal injectio ns of nicergoline (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg body weight) did not show any eff ects on frontal NGF contents determined by a highly sensitive enzyme i mmunoassay. In aged rats, 22-month-old, however, repeated injections o f nicergoline (1.0 mg/kg body weight) induced a significant increase i n the NGF level in the frontal region.