Nerve growth factor facilitates perivascular innervation in neovasculatures of mice.

It is well known that blood vessels including arterioles have a perivascular innervation. It is also widely accepted that perivascular nerves maintain vascular tone and regulate blood flow. Although there are currently prevailing opinions, unified views on the innervation of microcirculation in any organs have not been established.

Nerve growth factor suppresses prostate tumor growth.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) facilitates reinnervation of perivascular nerves that regulate vascular tone and blood flow. This study investigated whether NGF prevents tumor growth by promoting neuronal regulation of tumor blood flow. The growth rate of DU145 prostate carcinoma cells subcutaneously implanted into nude mice was significantly inhibited by subcutaneous NGF administration.

[Mechanisms underlying enhanced vasodilator responses to various vasodilator agents following endothelium removal in rat mesenteric resistance arteries].

We reported that vasodilator responses to various vasodilator agents were augmented by endothelium removal. To explain this mechanism, we hypothesized that endothelium removal eliminates the release of endothelium-derived contracting factor EDCF, which counteracts the vasodilation. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown.