[Effect of nerve growth factor and amizil on the viability and metabolism of cultured spinal ganglia].

Spinal ganlia of a 9-day chick embryo were cultivated by the method of "floating rafts" in common medium (control) and in the medium containing amizyl (100 microgram/ml) or a neuregrowth factor (50 microgram/ml). With the action of amizyl there proved to be an increase in the number of surviving neurons; the majority of these neurons contained monoaminoxidase; there was a rise of NAD-diaphorase activity, and, to a lesser extent, of lactic dehydrogenase and isocitric dehydrogenase activities. The neurogrowth factor caused an increase in the number of nerve cells with acetylcholinesterase; there was an elevation of NAD-diaphorase and some rise of malic dehydrogenase activities; the activity of lactic dehydrogenase became maximal; as to succinic dehydrogenase--its activity was somewhat suppressed.