Memory Impairment in Rats Induced by an Active Fragment of Nerve Growth Factor Antibody.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein of known importance for the development and maintenance of peripheral sympathetic neurons (Levi-Montalcini and Angeletti, 1968; Yu et al., 1978). Recent anatomical, behavioral, and biochemical studies have been interpreted as suggesting a possible role for NGF in the central nervous system (Honegger and Lenoir, 1982; Gnahn et al., 1983; Fischer et al .; 1987). However, no direct evidence exists implicating altered levels of NGF as causative in either normal aging or in accelerating neuro-degenerative processes such as Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, intra-ventricular and intracortical injection of anti-NGF-antibody failed to produce anadverse effect on forebrain cholinergic neurons (Gnahn et al.,1983). It is so far not known whether a deficiency of NGF is responsible for impairments in learning and memory. We report here that continuous intracerebral infusion of a specific Fab’ fragment of antiserum to NGF (anti-NGF) over a period of four weeks impairs learning and memory retention of the water maze and habituation tasks in rats.