ABSTRACT
When a nerve growth factor isolated from mouse submaxillary salivary glands is injected into young zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio, it causes enlargement of spinal ganglia due to hypertrophy and hyperplasia. A large part of the response is due to hyperplasia, as compared with that of chicks and mammals, in which the response is primarily hypertrophy of cells. The nature of the response to NGF corresponds to the chief method of normal growth of ganglia in this species.
Sympathetic ganglia of B. rerio are also markedly enlarged by treatment with the nerve growth factor.
Injections of a specific antiserum to the nerve growth factor cause a reduction in size of the spinal ganglia of the zebrafish. This decrease in size is due to a reduction in the cell population of the ganglia, while the cells in the reduced ganglion appear normal. An effect of antiserum has previously been noted in other animals, but only on sympathetic ganglia.