Cytochemical differentiation of the axon membrane in A- and C-fibres.
Guinea pig and rat sciatic nerves were fixed with cacodylate-buffered aldehydes and OsO4, and were stained with ferric ion and ferrocyanide. Cytoplasmic surfaces of the non-myelinated nodal axon membrane of A-fibres display distinct electron-dense aggregates of stain. These aggregates were not observed in association with the paranodal or internodal axolemma. The membranes of C-fibres exhibit no staining under these conditions. Thus, the nodal axolemma of normal myelinated fibres is structurally distinct from both the myelinated internodal membrane, and from the axolemma of C-fibres. The ferric ion-ferrocyanide technique may provide a method for marking axonal membrane with normal nodal properties.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000032:analysis; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006652:Histological Techniques; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009441:Neurilemma / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011901:Ranvier's Nodes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000648:ultrastructure