Catecholamines in peripheral tissues of mice and cell counts of sympathetic ganglia after the prenatal and postnatal administration of the nerve growth factor antiserum

One group of mice was exposed prenatally on the 15th, 16th and 17th day of gestation to the Nerve Growth Factor-antiserum (900 units/g per day), two other groups of mice were, after such prenatal treatment, also treated with 450 or 900 units/g per day postnattly for 6 days and a fourth group was treated postnatally only with 450 units/g per day for 6 days. One-and-a-half to 71/2 months following such treatments the catecholamine content of major peripheral tissues was measured and total cell counts were performed on 107 sympathetic ganglia (superior cervical, stellate, superior mesenteric, celiac and cardiac ganglia) from anti-serum-treated and control mice. Prenatal exposure to the antiserum caused a moderate decrease in ganglionic cell counts with a corresponding moderate decrease of norepinephrine levels in submaxillary glands and small intestine; insignificant decreases in renal and uterine norepinephrine concentrations were seen, while the spleen and heart were nearly devoid of norepinephrine. Postnatal antiserum treatment was more effective causing marked reductions of tissue norepinephrine levels and ganglionic cell populations. The combined pre- and postnatal treatments gave the greatest effects. The norepinephrine levels were reduced to consistently negligible quantities in the heart, spleen, submaxillary glands and small intestine and renal and uterine norepinephrine concentrations were also significantly decreased. Only 1·7–8·2 per cent of the cell populations of the various sympathetic ganglia survived the combined pre- and postnatal treatments.