Cytofluorometric quantification of somatopetal axonal transport: effects of a conditioning lesion and 2,5-hexanedione.
Cytofluorometric quantification of axonally transported fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) from the injection site in the snout area was performed in the facial nucleus at various times during regeneration of one of the facial nerves. Measurements were made on single neurons on both operated and non-operated sides in three different groups of mice 8, 12 and 16 days after a nerve crush, Group 1: (control group) animals with a nerve crush, Group 2: animals with a conditioning lesion (nerve injury) made 3 days before the nerve crush, and Group 3: animals exposed daily to 2,5-hexanedione from 2 weeks before nerve crush until killing. A conditioning lesion caused a more rapid return of transport in regenerating nerves but there was no evidence for an increase in the total amount of transported FITC-WGA. For mice exposed to 2,5-hexanedione a transient increase of tracer transport in regenerating nerves could be demonstrated on day 12 after nerve crush. On day 16, however, a reduction of transport was seen in both operated and non-operated nerves. This study shows that it is possible experimentally to manipulate the influx of macromolecules to the nerve cell body from the periphery during nerve regeneration, and the present method offers the opportunity to study quantitatively the effects of various treatments on reinnervation of a muscle.
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006588:Hexanones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007659:Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014738:Vibrissae; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins / Q000378:metabolism
D006588:Hexanones; D007659:Ketones; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins; C011269:2,5-hexanedione