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Nerve growth factor prevents toxic neuropathy in mice
Author(s) -
Apfel Stuart C.,
Lipton Richard B.,
Arezzo Joseph C.,
Kessler John A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410290115
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , dorsal root ganglion , neurotoxicity , sensory system , pharmacology , medicine , in vivo , sensory neuron , sensory nerve , substance p , growth factor , toxicity , endocrinology , anesthesia , chemistry , neuroscience , biology , neuropeptide , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology
Taxol is a promising new antitumor drug with therapeutic use that is limited by a toxic sensory neuropathy. Taxol is also cytotoxic to dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro, but this effect is prevented by cotreatment with the trophic protein, nerve growth factor. We sought to develop an animal model and then to determine whether nerve growth factor can prevent taxol neuropathy in vivo. Administration of taxol to mice resulted in a profound sensory neuropathy characterized by decreases in dorsal root ganglion content of the peptide neurotransmitter, substance P, elevated threshold to thermally induced pain, and diminished amplitude of the compound action potential in the caudal nerve. Coadministration of nerve growth factor prevented all of these sings of neurotoxicity. These findings suggest that administration of nerve growth factor may prevent certain toxic sensory neuropathies.