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 d orsal root ganglia (DRG) after spinal injury, male Sprague-Dawley rats weig hing 150-175 g were given spinal hemisections. NGF content was measured at various post-surgical times and compared with naive controls (n = 4 per tim e point) in the spinal cord, DRG and blood serum by ELISA techniques (Prome ga). Levels of NGF in the blood serum were significantly increased 8-fold a t 48 h 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 dogm a, spinal injury results in decreased levels of NGF in the spinal cord and DRG following spinal injury. NeuroReport 10:889-893 (C) 1999 Lippincott Wil liams & Wilkins.