Substances originating from the optic nerve of neonatal rabbit induce regeneration-associated response in the injured optic nerve of adult rabbit.

We have recently shown that cell bodies of an injured optic nerve of adult rabbit can be induced to express regeneration-associated response by external signals derived from nonneuronal cells of regenerating nerves of lower vertebrates. In this study it is shown that even substances derived from a nonregenerating mammalian system also can trigger such a regenerative response. Thus, substances derived from intact nerves of neonatal rabbits and of adult rabbits, to a lesser extent, were active in triggering a regeneration-associated response, whereas substances derived from injured nerves of adult rabbit were not. However, if subsequent to the injury the nerve was implanted with silicone tube containing medium conditioned by neonatal optic nerves, the substances derived from the implanted injured nerve were active. Thus, it appears that the ability of a periaxonal environment to provide triggering substances correlates with axonal growth. Therefore, we named these substances "growth-associated triggering factors" (GATFs). It is suggested that mammalian cells are unable to express a regenerative response after an injury due to the failure of their nonneuronal cells to produce regeneration-triggering substances. This disability may be circumvented by an appropriate implantation procedure.