Otten U, Lorez H P, Businger F
Nature. 1983 Feb 10;301(5900):515-7. doi: 10.1038/301515a0.
The protein nerve growth factor (NGF) is a naturally occurring trophic substance for sympathetic neurones and for at least those primary sensory neurones containing substance P (refs 4-6). Thus retrogradely transported NGF increased substance P and protein content in corresponding dorsal root ganglia. Moreover, anti-NGF antibodies administered to newborn rats decreased substance P and somatostatin levels in dorsal root ganglia and dorsal spinal cord, suggesting an important role for NGF in the postnatal development of peptidergic sensory neurones. These neurones appear to be selectively affected by the neurotoxin capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide). Treatment of newborn rats with capsaicin led to degeneration of primary sensory neurones containing substance P, somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and cholecystokinin. The mechanism by which capsaicin evokes its neurotoxic effect is unknown. We report here that in newborn rats concomitant administration of NGF partially antagonized the deleterious effect of capsaicin on substance P-containing neurones in dorsal root ganglia as assessed by morphological and biochemical criteria. We conclude that capsaicin destroys the perikarya of primary sensory peptidergic neurones by interfering with the action of NGF, probably by blocking its retrograde axonal transport.
蛋白质神经生长因子（NGF）是一种天然存在的对交感神经元以及至少对那些含有P物质的初级感觉神经元起营养作用的物质（参考文献4 - 6）。因此，逆行运输的NGF会增加相应背根神经节中P物质和蛋白质的含量。此外，给新生大鼠注射抗NGF抗体可降低背根神经节和背脊髓中P物质和生长抑素的水平，这表明NGF在肽能感觉神经元的出生后发育中起重要作用。这些神经元似乎受到神经毒素辣椒素（8 - 甲基 - N - 香草基 - 6 - 壬酰胺）的选择性影响。用辣椒素处理新生大鼠会导致含有P物质、生长抑素、血管活性肠多肽和胆囊收缩素的初级感觉神经元退化。辣椒素产生神经毒性作用的机制尚不清楚。我们在此报告，在新生大鼠中，通过形态学和生化标准评估，同时给予NGF可部分拮抗辣椒素对背根神经节中含P物质神经元的有害作用。我们得出结论，辣椒素通过干扰NGF的作用，可能是通过阻断其逆行轴突运输，来破坏初级感觉肽能神经元的胞体。
