title: Substance P immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal cord of the turtle Trachemys dorbigni following peripheral nerve injury.
abstract: Immunoreactive substance P was investigated in turtle lumbar spinal cord after sciatic nerve transection. In control animals immunoreactive fibers were densest in synaptic field Ia, where the longest axons invaded synaptic field III. Positive neuronal bodies were identified in the lateral column of the dorsal horn and substance P immunoreactive varicosities were observed in the ventral horn, in close relationship with presumed motoneurons. Other varicosities appeared in the lateral and anterior funiculi. After axotomy, substance P immunoreactive fibers were reduced slightly on the side of the lesion, which was located in long fibers that invaded synaptic field III and in the varicosities of the lateral and anterior funiculus. The changes were observed at 7 days after axonal injury and persisted at 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after the lesion. These findings show that turtles should be considered as a model to study the role of substance P in peripheral axonal injury, since the distribution and temporal changes of substance P were similar to those found in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. parttaw@excite.com
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Partata
authors.forename: A M R
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Krepsky
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Achaval
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000737:chemistry*; D019771:Axotomy; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000293:injuries*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry*; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P