title: Effect of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on peripheral nerve regeneration in the rat: histological aspects and comparison with the effect of gangliosides.
abstract: Recovery that follows a sciatic nerve crush was studied by counting the number of myelinated axons in cross sections of the sciatic nerve at various times after operation. Treatment with alpha-MSH (10 micrograms/animal, s.c., every 48 h) resulted in an increased number of myelinated axons 10 days after a sciatic nerve crush (3 mm distal to the crush). At postoperation day 22, alpha-MSH increased the number and diameter of axons 20 mm distal to the crush, but 3 mm distal to the crush no effect of alpha-MSH was seen. Treatment with gangliosides (50 mg/kg, i.p., daily) had a somewhat different effect: the number of axons was increased at a later stage and at all distances from the crush. The effect of gangliosides on the axonal diameter was opposite that of alpha-MSH: treatment with gangliosides stimulated the formation of axons with a smaller diameter.
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Institute for Health Care, Utrecht.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dekker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones