Abnormalities of the sciatic nerves of dystrophic mice with reference to the large U-axons.
A statistical study using regression analysis was used to evaluate the density of axonal organelles in dystrophic peripheral nerves. The slope of the density of neurotubules (NT) in myelinated (M-) axons was different from that in small unmyelinated (U-) axons. The slope of the density of NT in large U-axons (larger than 1.5 micron in diameter) was similar to that of the M-axons in both the dystrophic and control mice. There was a higher density of NT in the dystrophic M-axons than in the controls in the anterior, posterior and mixed nerves of the sciatic nerve. There was also a higher density of NT in the dystrophic small U-axons than in the controls. There was a higher density of neurofilaments (NF) of M-axons in the dystrophic mice than in the controls. On the contrary, the NF of small U-axons were lower in density in the dystrophic mice. These results were different from our previous reports, which were observed in the distal part, depending on when the groups of U-axons were divided (Okada, Mizuhira and Nakamura 1976a).
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000473:pathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000648:ultrastructure