Immunoassay evidence for a role of nerve growth factor in development of dental innervation.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is known to have an essential role in prenatal development of spinal and trigeminal primary sensory neurons serving nociceptive functions. Investigation of a possible function of NGF in development of intradental innervation has recently begun with the demonstration by others of NGF mRNA and NGF receptor in the pulp. The pulp is of special interest in this respect because of its late development and unusual properties of its innervation. In the present study, use of a sensitive ELISA for NGF has made it possible to detect and measure NGF antigen in pulps of developing rat molars. Pulps contained relatively high concentrations of NGF before and during the time of innervation development.