Glial reaction to nerve growth factor in the regenerating optic nerve of the newt (Triturus viridescens)

Nerve growth factor stimulates neurite outgrowth from goldfish retinal explants: the influence of a prior lesion

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) retinal explants, whose ganglion cells were 'primed' in vivo by an optic nerve crush at varying intervals prior to culture, were found to respond by enhanced neurite outgrowth to low (ng/ml) concentrations of nerve growth factor (NGF). This in vitro response was dose-dependent and specific for NGF. The spontaneous fiber outgrowth which normally occurs in vitro in response to optic nerve lesion without exogenous NGF in the medium could be reduced by approximately 80% with administration of NGF antiserum. These observations strongly indicate the formation of an NGF-like molecule in the goldfish retina. The magnitude and sensitivity of the NGF response was dependent on the post-crush interval, referred to as days post-axotomy (DPA). Without a prior crush there was no response unless explants remained in culture 1-2 weeks before NGF treatment. NGF elicited the greatest increase in neurite outgrowth when administered to 7 DPA explants. With increasing intervals after axotomy the response decreased until by 35 DPA none could be elicited.

Retinal ganglion cell response to axotomy and nerve growth factor antiserum treatment in the regenerating visual system of the goldfish (Carassius auratus): an in vivo and in vitro analysis

In vitro nerve growth factor (NGF) antiserum (anti-NGF) treatment was found to significantly depress retinal ganglion cell neurite outgrowth in goldfish explant culture. Goldfish retinas, conditioned by a 14-day prior optic nerve crush, demonstrated a significant dose response inhibition of neurite outgrowth if incubated with various concentrations of the antiserum (i.e. concentrations from full strength to 1:100) before explantation for tissue culture. NGF added to the incubation medium containing antiserum partially eliminated the inhibition of neurite outgrowth during the first 4 days of explant culture. Antiserum treatment at the higher concentrations (i.e. full strength and 1:1.5 dilution) caused a cessation of nerve growth from explants between culture days 3 and 4. However, controls at this time still exhibited vigorous neurite outgrowth. In vivo treatment with anti-NGF administered intraocularly at 7 days after optic nerve crush (i.e. 7 DPA) was found to significantly reduce the size and complexity of retinal ganglion cell nucleoli when analyzed morphometrically at 14 DPA. No other cell parameters measured (i.e. cell size, nuclear size, cell/nuclear ratios and mitochondrial, Golgi and RER densities) were found to be affected by the single antiserum treatment.

Effect of nerve growth factor producing cells on anaplastic glioma and pheochromocytoma clones: involvement of other factors

When the NGF-secreting C-6 rat glioma cells were intracerebrally injected with F98 rat anaplastic glioma cells into rats syngeneic for the F98 cells, an increased mean survival time was observed for rats developing tumors compared with those injected with only anaplastic glioma cells. Thirty percent of the rats injected with both cell types showed no signs of tumor at 90 days. Pretreatment of the anaplastic glioma cells with conditioned medium of C-6 cells did not duplicate these results unless the C-6 cells were pretreated with 17 beta-estradiol, which appears to induce secretion of an adhesion factor as well as NGF. These rats survived even longer and 33% were free of tumors at 90 days. Histological examination of tumors of the nonsurviving rats revealed that they were basically well differentiated with only small anaplastic areas remaining. Both NGF and conditioned medium from C-6 and another NGF-secreting line, S-180 mouse sarcoma, induce process formation in F98 cells and in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, but the processes that appear following NGF exposure are morphologically different from those induced by conditioned medium. Conditioned -medium-treated cells also have a flatter appearance. In F98 cells, NGF takes longer to induce processes than does conditioned medium. The NGF-induced effects observed in both cells are neutralized by anti-NGF IgG, but those induced by conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced increased adhesiveness in F98 rat anaplastic glioma and PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor induced increased adhesive-and PCuced effects observed in both cells are neutralized by anti-NGF IgG, but those induced by conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced increased adhesiveness in F98 rat anaplastic glioma and PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor induced increased adhesive-and PCuced effects observed in both cells are neutralized by anti-NGF IgG, but those induced by conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced increased adhesiveness in F98 rat anaplastic glioma and PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Conditioned media are not. Nerve growth factor induced increased adhesive-and PC12 cells. Anti-NGF IgG did not influence this effect on F98 cells and only partially neutralized the effect on PC12 cells, indicating that other factors may be operative in this system. Conditioned medium collected from C-6 cells pretreated with 17 beta-estradiol induced the highest degree of adhesiveness observed in both F98 and PC12 cells, and this action was unaffected by anti-NGF IgG in either case. Conditioned media from other cell lines, a variety of selected proteins, and dBcAMP did not induce increased adhesiveness. The factor responsible for this effect is nondialyzable, heat-sensitive, and ammonium-sulfate-precipitable, and its secretion appears to be stimulated by 17 beta-estradiol.

Retinal ganglion cell response to nerve growth factor in the regenerating and intact visual system of the goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Light and electron microscopic observations indicated that 1 microgram NGF injected into the goldfish eye at the time of optic nerve crush initiated significant retinal ganglion cell body, nuclear and nucleolar hypertrophy when compared to controls at 7 days post-axotomy (7 DPA). In addition, the ultrastructural morphometric values for NGF-treated retinal ganglion cells at 7 DPA were not significantly different from the normal hypertrophy found in 14 DPA controls. Therefore, it appears that NGF treatment caused an acceleration of the normal cell body response to axotomy by about a week. These responses were found to be specific for the NGF molecule and dose-dependent over a 100-1000 ng NGF concentration range. In contrast to the lesioned state, NGF treatment had no significant influence on intact, non-lesioned retinal ganglion cell morphology as measured by morphometric analysis. These results strongly indicate that the responsiveness of the goldfish retinal ganglion cells to NGF is initiated by the axotomy. Eyes treated with NGF in the same manner that elicited the dramatic retinal ganglion cell morphological changes at 7 DPA could also be shown to significantly increase neurite outgrowth from retinal explants cultured at the same post-operative period (i.e. 7 DPA).

Retinal ganglion cell response to axotomy and nerve growth factor antiserum in the regenerating visual system of the newt (Notophthalmus viridescens): an ultrastructural morphometric analysis

One 3.0 mg dose of the nerve growth factor antiserum (anti-NGF) injected into the vitreous chamber of the eye at the time of optic nerve transection elicits significant changes in the normal newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) retinal ganglion cell body response to axotomy at 7 and 14 days postaxotomy (DPA). Light microscopic observations indicate that anti-NGF treatment significantly reduces the per cent of retinal ganglion cells demonstrating nuclear chromatin reactivity (ie., homogeneous to a more heterogeneous state) from 33.36 +/- 3.02 to 22.82 +/- 2.98%. In addition, the per cent of retinal ganglion cells demonstrating prominent nucleoli is dramatically decreased from 32.08 +/- 1.64 to 18.20 +/- 1.79% at 7 DPA. It is also important to note that the number of prominent nucleoli in the 7 DPA group is reduced to such an extent by anti-NGF treatment that the value is not significantly different from that of intact controls. Intact controls will routinely exhibit approximately half the number of prominent nucleoli that are normal for the untreated 7 DPA group. A definite dose-response relationship can be shown to exist between the per cent of nuclear reactive ganglion cells demonstrating prominent nucleoli and various anti-NGF concentrations at 14 DPA. There does not appear to be a dose-response relationship between various anti-NGF concentrations and the per cent of retinal ganglion cells demonstrating nuclear reactivity at 14 DPA. However, the degree of nuclear chromatin reactivity appears to be less at the higher anti-NGF concentrations (ie., greater than or equal to 3.0 mg/eye) at 14 DPA. Electron microscopic morphometric analysis reveals that anti-NGF treatment significantly reduces the cell perikaryal area at 7 and 14 DPA while the nuclear area remains unchanged. Therefore, there is a significant decrease in the cytoplasmic/nuclear ratios at both 7 and 14 DPA in response to anti-NGF treatment which appears more pronounced by 14 DPA. Anti-NGF treatment also significantly reduces the mitochondrial and nucleolar densities, as well as the nucleolar areas of cells at 7 and 14 DPA. There are no significant changes in Golgi field densities in response to anti-NGF treatment.

Retinal ganglion cell response to axotomy and nerve growth factor in the regenerating visual system of the newt (Notophthalmus viridescens): an ultrastructural morphometric analysis

Nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment, given as a single 200 BU intraocular injection at the time of optic nerve transection, was found to significantly accelerate the retinal ganglion cell response to axotomy in the newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). In the control series the per cent of neurons in the retinal ganglion layer demonstrating nuclear reactivity (i.e. chromatin changes) reaches a peak by 14 days post axotomy (14 DPA), plateaus through 21 DPA and falls thereafter, returning to control levels by 90 DPA. NGF treatment is shown to significantly accelerate the entrance of responding retinal ganglion cells into the reactive nuclear phase between 1 and 7 DPA, and by 7 DPA nuclear reactivity has reached a peak, in contrast to 14 DPA for control values. Consequently, NGF treatment causes retinal ganglion cells to be in the nuclear reactive state a week longer than controls but reactivity diminishes after 21 DPA as in controls. Electron microscopic morphometric analysis further substantiates these observations by demonstrating that NGF treatment can elicit certain cellular organelle changes a week earlier (i.e. at 7 DPA) than they would normally occur (i.e. at 14 DPA) in response to axotomy. In addition to eliciting cellular hypertrophy at 7 DPA, NGF treatment significantly increases Golgi field densities in the neuronal perikaryal cytoplasm as well as a doubling of the number of nucleoli per nucleus and stimulating a significant increase in nucleolar cross-sectional areas. A dose-response relationship exists between the per cent of retinal ganglion cells demonstrating nuclear reactivity at 7 DPA and various NGF concentrations which compares favorably with the dose response study involving the number of regenerating axons per nerve cross-section at 14 DPA. Studies to determine if the NGF mediated responses were a specific effect elicited by this protein molecule or whether they are also produced by other peptides which share some properties in common with NGF demonstrate that only NGF is capable of eliciting these responses.