Nerve Growth Factor: Morphological and Morphometric Findings on Facial Nerve Regeneration in the Rabbit

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is indispensable for the correct functioning of the sympathetic and sensorial autonomic nervous system, with multiple effects and potential clinical applications, specifically in Alzheimer’s disease [2]. We are not aware of a specific active trophic factor on the motor system, analogous to the NGF, which would correspond to a muscle-derived protein [5, 6]. The “target- derived” trophism is an aspect of the autonomic system which is still under discussion. At the present time, it is believed that the NGF is synthesized by glial cells, astrcytes, and laminine [7]. The aim of this study is tu use the facial nerve, which is a mixed nerve, like the sciatic nerve and the trigeminal nerve [1], and to evaluate the possible effect of NGF on all its fibers.