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Nerve growth factor modulates the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis during the stress
G Taglialatela1, L Angelucci, S Scaccianoce
1Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
Abstract:
In the present study, we have investigated the functional relationship between the nerve growth factor protein (NGF) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPAA). We have found that while iv injected NGF is able to stimulate the HPAA activity in rats, NGF is not able to stimulate the axis after a block of the hypothalamus produced by chlorpromazine-morphine-Nembutal treatment. Also, the stress activation of the HPAA is significantly reduced by pretreatment of the rats with anti-NGF immunoglobulin G. These results suggest that the stimulatory action of NGF on HPAA activity requires the release of ACTH secretagogues from the hypothalamus and that NGF may modulate the HPAA response to stress stimuli.