Femoral nerve and rectus femoris muscle of the rat: a study in anatomy, histology, and histoenzymes.
A study in the anatomy of the femoral-inguinal area of the femoral nerve and its branches, as well as the rectus femoris muscle, was undertaken on 27 male Wistar rats. Histological stains were used on both the nerve (Champy-Maillet stain) and the muscle (hematoxylin and eosin, Engel-Cunninghan's trichrome, and Masson's trichrome). Histochemical characteristics of the muscle tissue were determined by NADH-tetrazolium reductase and ATPase techniques; at the same time, the different cell group types, along with their distributions, were identified. This study is presented as a working model for experiments on nerve degeneration and regeneration as well as for research on the repercussions of nerve function on the dependent muscle.
Pena
M C
MC
Department of Plastic Surgery, Hospital Nuestra Señora de Covadonga. Oviedo, Spain.
Barón
J
J
D000818:Animals; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000294:innervation; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013194:Staining and Labeling