Nerve growth factor increases activity of ornithine decarboxylase in rat brain

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Abstract
Intraventricular administration of nanogram quantities of nerve growth factor [NGF] to adult rats results in a marked increase in the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (L-ornithine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.17) in the brain. The increase occurs in all major brain regions and the activity is maximal by 7.5 h after administration. The enzyme response to NGF increases in magnitude during maturation; the relative increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity in adult animals is much greater than that in young. Neither insulin nor bovine growth hormone was able to increase ornithine decarboxylase activity to the same extent as did NGF. When brain was separated into neuronal- and glial-enriched fractions, induction of ornithine decarboxylase was found in both, but a greater increase was observed in the glial fraction.