The effect of the retrograde axonal transport of nerve growth factor on the morphology of adrenergic neurones.

An injection of nerve growth factor (NGF) into one eye of neonatal rats results in an increase in the tyrosine hydroxylase activity of the ipsilateral superior cervical ganglion. This effect was seen maximally after the intraocular injection of a depot preparation of NGF linked to cellulose. The sympathetic neurones that innervate the eye can be identified by autoradiography after the retrograde axonal transport of either NGF or tetanus toxin labelled with [125I]iodine. It was only those cells having their terminals in the vicinity of the depot preparation. This demonstrates that NGF transported from the periphery to the cell bodies is effectively retained within the transporting cell and is not released to act on extracellular receptors within the ganglion. It is suggested that this specificity of action for NGF reaching the ganglion in this fashion is important during normal development in determining the survival of adrenergic neurones.