Nerve growth factor effects on protein synthesis after nerve damage

Axonal damage can induce a variety of changes in the cell bodies of neurons and in neighboring cells. Such changes, termed the axon reaction, can include neuronal chromatolysis, synaptic disconnection, and altered protein synthesis. Nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment of sympathetic ganglia after nerve damage has been reported to block partially both chromatolysis and synaptic disconnection. We examined the proteins synthesized in rat superior cervical ganglia using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Axotomy induces changes in the relative rates of synthesis of a number of the proteins. The NGF treatment after axotomy does not reverse most of these, and induces other changes. It thus appears that the absence of NFG in retrograde transport from target tissues cannot alone be the signal for the axon reaction.