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. 2008 Feb 1;23(4):215–220. doi: 10.1007/s12264-007-0032-z

Regulatory effect of nerve growth factor on release of substance P in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons of rat

神经生长因子对培养的大鼠背根神经节神经元 P 物质释放的调节作用

Xiang-Dong Yang 1, Zhen Liu 2, Hua-Xiang Liu 3, Li-Hong Wang 2, Chun-Hong Ma 4, Zhen-Zhong Li 2,✉
PMCID: PMC5550584  PMID: 17687396

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the regulatory effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on basal and capsaicin-induced release of neuropeptide substance P (SP) in primary cultured embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.

Methods

DRGs were dissected from 15-day-old embryonic Wistar rats. DRG neurons were dissociated and cultured, and then exposed to different concentrations of NGF (10 ng/mL, 30 ng/mL, or 100 ng/mL) for 72 h. The neurons cultured in media without NGF served as control. RT-PCR were used for detecting the mRNAs of SP and vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1) in the DRG neurons. The SP basal and capsaicin (100 nmol/L)-induced release in the culture were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA).

Results

SP mRNA and VR1 mRNA expression increased in primary cultured DRG neurons in a dose-dependent manner of NGF. Both basal release and capsaicin-evoked release of SP increased in NGF-treated DRG neurons compared with in control group. The capsaicin-evoked release of SP also increased in a dose-dependent manner of NGF.

Conclusion

NGF may promote both basal release and capsaicin-evoked release of SP. NGF might increase the sensitivity of nociceptors by increasing the SP mRNA or VR1 mRNA.

Keywords: nerve growth factor, dorsal root ganglion, capsaicin, vanilloid receptor 1, substance P

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