STIMULATION OF THE PITUITARY-ADRENOCORTICAL AXIS BY NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein essential for the development and maintenance of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system1,2, causing responsive neurones to increase in size and to extend neurites. Biochemically, the selective induction of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine β-hydroxylase3,4 key enzymes in catecholamine biosynthesis, is one of its most characteristic effects. Both the morphological5 and biochemical6 effects are modulated by glucocorticoids, suggesting a close relationship between specific effects of NGF and hormone action. NGF has been shown to induce an increase in adrenal cyclic AMP in intact but not in hypophysectomised rats7, and so we have looked directly at the effect of systemic administration of NGF on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. We report here that NGF induced an enhanced secretion of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and a prolonged increase in plasma glucocorticoid concentration after intravenous (i.v.) injection. Such effects could have important implications for the biological activity of NGF. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.