Selectivity of distal reinnervation of regenerating mixed motor and sensory nerve fibres across muscle grafts in rats.
This study investigated target specificity during axonal regeneration of a mixed motor and sensory nerve towards respective targets. The femoral nerves in rats were divided and allowed to grow across a 6 mm gap interposed with frozen and thawed muscle grafts towards their distal motor and sensory nerve stumps. Fourteen weeks later the number of motoneurons projecting axons into the motor and sensory branches were determined by retrograde axonal tracing using horse-radish peroxidase. There were significantly higher numbers of motoneurons (p = 0.0034) projecting into the motor nerve than the sensory nerve. Efferent axons of a mixed nerve selectivity grew into motor branches when allowed to regenerate across a 6 mm gap interposed with muscle grafts. It is possible that a deliberately created 'structured gap' during repair of mixed nerves could improve axonal matching by allowing expression of neurotropism.
Rath
S
S
Section of Surgical Research, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex.
Green
C J
CJ
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000637:transplantation*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology