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Effects of injecting antibodies to mouse nerve growth factor into the chick embryo
Author(s) -
Dimberg Yvonne,
Ebendal Ted
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(88)90059-7
Subject(s) - embryo , nerve growth factor , antibody , endocrinology , biology , medicine , cervical ganglia , penetration (warfare) , andrology , chemistry , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , biochemistry , operations research , engineering
Abstract The function of NGF in chick embryos was studied by injecting antibodies to mouse nerve growth factor (NGF). The uptake of mammalian antibodies into the 8‐ to 15‐day‐old chick embryo was followed by an enzyme‐linked immunoassay. Normal rabbit antibodies (250 μg) were administered to the yolk, of which less than 5% was found in the embryo (300 ng of IgG per g wet wt of embryo). The concentration was proportionally lower when 100 μg anti‐NGF antibodies were injected (40 ng/g). The concentration of anti‐NGF antibodies was 1.5 times higher following injection directly into the body of the embryos. The effects of injecting antibodies at days 3–7 were studied in 10‐day‐old embryos by measuring the diameter frequencies of neurons in sympathetic and sensory ganglia. In comparison with controls, significantly smaller neurons were found in the sympathetic ganglia in embryos directly injected with anti‐NGF. In the spinal ganglia, distribution of neuron diameters did not differ between anti‐NGF‐treated embryos and controls. Finally, the ability of different antibodies to mouse NGF to inhibit the in vitro activity of recombinant chick NGF was investigated. Total block was found at 1000–2000 ng of IgG per ml for most of the antibodies tested, levels not reached when injecting the embryo with antibodies to NGF. We conclude that the main reason for the limited effects in chick embryos by injection of NGF antibodies is due to the low levels of penetration of the anti‐NGF IgG into the embryo.