Aggressive Behavior Induces Release of Nerve Growth Factor from Mouse Salivary Gland into the Bloodstream

Intraspecific fighting induced by 6-8 weeks of social isolation results in massive release of nerve growth factor (NGF) into the bloodstream of adult male mice. The amount of circulating NGF is highly correlated with the number of fighting episodes. Biological, radioimmunological, immunohistochemica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1986-08, Vol.83 (16), p.6184-6187
Main Authors: Aloe, Luigi, Alleva, Enrico, Bohm, Ariela, Levi-Montalcini, Rita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenal glands
Adrenalectomy
Adrenergics
Aggression
Animal glands
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Antibodies
Axons - ultrastructure
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Blood serum
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Ganglia - cytology
Hydroxydopamines
Kinetics
Male
Mice
Nerve Growth Factors - blood
Nerve Growth Factors - immunology
Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism
Nerves
Neurons
Oxidopamine
Pituitary gland
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Salivary glands
Salivary Glands - metabolism
Sympathectomy, Chemical
Time Factors
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Summary:Intraspecific fighting induced by 6-8 weeks of social isolation results in massive release of nerve growth factor (NGF) into the bloodstream of adult male mice. The amount of circulating NGF is highly correlated with the number of fighting episodes. Biological, radioimmunological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies show that NGF is discharged from the salivary gland into the blood within minutes after fighting and reaches the highest level 3-4 hr later. Adrenergic innervation of the salivary gland or adrenalectomy does not abolish the NGF release. Corticotropic hormones do not induce NGF increase in the blood. Daily administrations of highly purified NGF (3 μ g per g of body weight) result in a considerable increase in the volume of adrenal glands. These findings are unequivocable evidence for a physiological role of the mouse salivary glands as a major source of blood NGF.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.83.16.6184