CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PURIFIED NERVE GROWTH FACTOR ANTIBODY

Abstract— Purified nerve growth factor antibody has been shown to be competent in several different systems. The material is effective in producing immunosympathectomy in young rats and in preventing the action of nerve growth factor on explants of rat superior cervical ganglia. When injected into the brain of young rats it is without effect on brain tyrosine hydroxylase activity, but appears to escape into the system and cause a reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the superior cervical ganglia. Iodinated antibody injected subcutaneously into neonatal rats does not enter the brain and does not accumulate in superior cervical ganglia, or any of the other tissues studied. The antibody prevents the retrograde transport of nerve growth factor from the anterior chamber of the eye to the superior cervical ganglion and is not itself transported.