[The effect of veratridine on the release of neurotrophic factors in a nerve tissue culture].

A depolarising agent veratridine was shown to affect the level of neurotrophic substances in a combined culture of the newborn rats hippocampus and chick embryo spinal ganglia: the growth of sprouts of the ganglia's sensitive neurons was enhanced. The effect seems to be mediated by the veratridine effect on the hippocampal neurons. The role of an increased level of neurotrophic factors in an increase of neuronal activity, is discussed.