title: The mouse median nerve experimental model in regenerative research.
abstract: Sciatic nerve crush injury in rat animal model is one of the most common experimental models used in regenerative research. However, the availability of transgenic mouse for nerve regeneration studies is constantly increasing and, therefore, the shift from rat model to mouse model is, in some cases, necessary. Moreover, since most of the human nerve lesions occur in the upper limb, it is also advantageous to shift from sciatic nerve to median nerve. In this study we described an experimental model which involves lesions of the median nerve in the mouse. Data showed that the finger flexor muscle contraction strength, assessed to evaluate the motor function recovery, and reached values not different from the control already 20 days after injury. The degree of nerve regeneration evaluated with stereological methods in light microscopy showed that, 25 days after injury, the number of regenerated myelinated fibers was comparable to the control, but they were smaller with a thinner myelin thickness. Stereological analysis made in electron microscopy confirmed these results, although the total number of fibers quantified was significantly higher compared to light microscopy analysis, due to the very small size of some fibers that can be detected only in electron microscopy.
authors.affiliation: The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND and Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DENDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sara Buskbjerg
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Jager
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Neuroscience Institute of the "Cavalieri Ottolenghi" Foundation (NICO), University of Turin, 10 Regione Gonzole, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4795-7024
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ronchi
authors.affiliation: The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND and Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DENDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian Bjerggaard
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6573-146X
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Vaegter
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Neuroscience Institute of the "Cavalieri Ottolenghi" Foundation (NICO), University of Turin, 10 Regione Gonzole, Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6962-831X
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geuna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*