• G Tredici, M Braga, G Nicolini, M Miloso, P Marmiroli, A Schenone, L Nobbio, L Frattola, and G Cavaletti.
• L.I.T.A., Università di Milano, Segrate, Italy.
• Exp. Neurol. 1999 Oct 1; 159 (2): 551-8.

AbstractIn this study we evaluated the effect of recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF) on cisplatin (CDDP)-induced sensory neuronopathy in an experimental paradigm in the rat. Young adult female Wistar rats were treated with CDDP (2 mg/kg ip twice weekly for nine times) alone or in combination with rhNGF (1 mg/kg sc on alternate days). The effect of CDDP +/- NGF treatment was evaluated with behavioral (tail-flick test) and neurophysiological (nerve conduction velocity in the tail) methods immediately after treatment and after a follow-up period of 6 weeks. Pathological and morphometrical examinations of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and sciatic and saphenous nerves were also performed. rhNGF treatment induced a significant reduction in the CDDP-induced decrease in nerve conduction velocity (P < 0.05), and this was associated with a significant protection against the decrease in somatic (P < 0.05), nuclear (P < 0.05), and nucleolar size (P < 0.01) caused by CDDP treatment. However, for each of the parameters examined the neuroprotection obtained with rhNGF treatment was not complete. At the follow-up examination no differences between the three groups were observed in tail-flick test and nerve conduction velocity. We conclude that rhNGF, administered according to the schedule used in this experiment, exerts a biologically significant neuroprotective effect against CDDP peripheral neurotoxicity.Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

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