title: Choline acetyltransferase activity in collateral sprouting of peripheral nerve after surgical intervention: experimental study in rats.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to establish an assay of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity to investigate the regeneration of injured peripheral nerve, repaired by end-to-end or end-to-side neurorrhaphy. Murine sciatic and peroneal nerves were exposed, and the peroneal nerve was transected at a site 5 mm from its ramification. For end-to-side neurorrhaphy, an epineurotomy producing a 5-x5-mm window was carried out on the tibial nerve, just above the level of gastrocnemius muscle ramification. The peroneal nerve stump was then sutured end-to-side to the tibial nerve window. For end-to-end neurorrhaphy, the peroneal stump was directly sutured end-to-end. ChAT activity was measured at a site distal to the peroneal stump at 1 to 3 months postoperatively, and the results were compared among four groups: 1) end-to-end neurorrhaphy group; 2) end-to-side neurorrhaphy group; 3) unrepaired group; and 4) positive controls. ChAT activity in the end-to-side neurorrhaphy yielded approximately two-thirds the value of the end-to-end neurorrhaphy, and more than half the value of positive controls at 3 months postoperatively. Histologic sections of the end-to-side and end-to-end sutured peroneal nerve demonstrated large numbers of myelinated axons and Schwann cells at the third postoperative month. All the results demonstrated that end-to-side neurorrhaphy is comparable to well-performed end-to-end neurorrhaphy, thus providing another option for surgical treatment of avulsion nerve injury and massive nerve defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nara Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kizaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohgushi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamai
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase