Domenici L, Cellerino A, Berardi N, Cattaneo A, Maffei L
Istituto di Neurofisiologia del CNR, Pisa, Italy.
Neuroreport. 1994 Oct 27;5(16):2041-4. doi: 10.1097/00001756-199410270-00013.
Neural plasticity in the visual cortex, as tested by changes in its functional organization induced by monocular deprivation (MD), is present only during a restricted period of postnatal development (critical period). To investigate whether this process of synapse strengthening depends upon NGF, we antagonized endogenous NGF during the critical period by implanting anti-NGF producing cells. Anti-NGF treated and control rats were monocularly deprived after the end of the critical period. In anti-NGF treated but not in control rats MD was still effective. We conclude that antagonism of endogenous NGF prolongs the critical period, possibly by delaying the process of synapse consolidation in the visual cortex.
通过单眼剥夺（MD）引起的功能组织变化来测试，视觉皮层中的神经可塑性仅在出生后发育的受限时期（关键期）存在。为了研究这种突触强化过程是否依赖于神经生长因子（NGF），我们在关键期通过植入产生抗NGF的细胞来拮抗内源性NGF。在关键期结束后，对经抗NGF处理的大鼠和对照大鼠进行单眼剥夺。在经抗NGF处理的大鼠中，MD仍然有效，而在对照大鼠中则无效。我们得出结论，内源性NGF的拮抗作用可能通过延迟视觉皮层中突触巩固的过程来延长关键期。
