title: Cutaneous nerve distribution in adult rat hairy skin after thermal injury--an immunohistochemical study.
abstract: Regrowth of cutaneous nerves after thermal injury was examined in rat hairy skin with use of protein gene product 9.5, which has been shown to label nerves in skin preparations. Tissue biopsies were obtained from injured and control skin at postburn days 1, 7, 14, 28, and 120, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, cryoprotected, sectioned, and immunostained with rhodamine conjugated goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G. Immunoreactivity for protein gene product 9.5 was intense and illustrated the process of nerve regrowth in rat skin after thermal injury. No nerve growth was detectable in 1- and 7-day preparations. Variable regeneration was noted in 14-day preparations. The 28- and 120-day groups produced nerve counts that were similar to control sections. Results suggest that rat hairy skin has a capacity for nerve regrowth after thermal injury. Nerves were noted to regenerate from beneath the scar. Burn wounds in rats demonstrated vigorous cutaneous nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Therapy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tuckett
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006197:Hair; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*