Memory impairment and morphological changes in rats induced by active fragment of anti-nerve growth factor-antibody.

Treatment of rats with a specific Fab' fragment of anti-nerve growth factor (NGF)-antibody (anti-NGF, 12, 120 and 400 μg/4 weeks, i.c.v.) impaired their learning ability. The distance of swimming of anti-NGF treated rats in a water maze was shortened more slowly by training than that of control rats. Anti-NGF treatment altered the staining of nuclei of cells in the hippocampus, parietal cortex and dentate gyrus with hematoxylin. It is suggested that the anti-NGF-induced amnesia could be due to change in nuclear morphology.