Neurotropism revisited

The purpose of this study is to re-examine the probable directive effect of the distal stump of a severed peripheral nerve on regenerating axons. Forssman postulated the existence of such a directive influence and Cajal interpreted it as chemotactic in nature. This view was subsequently refuted by W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurological research (New York) 2004-06, Vol.26 (4), p.381-387
Main Authors: Chiu, David T.W., Smahel, Jiri, Chen, Lilly, Meyer, Viktor
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Axons - pathology
Axons - physiology
CHEMOTAXIS
Iliac Vein - physiology
Iliac Vein - transplantation
Male
Nerve Degeneration - surgery
NERVE REGENERATION
Nerve Regeneration - physiology
NEUROTROPISM
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - pathology
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - surgery
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sciatic Nerve - physiology
Sciatic Nerve - transplantation
Tendons - transplantation
Transplantation, Autologous - methods
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Summary:The purpose of this study is to re-examine the probable directive effect of the distal stump of a severed peripheral nerve on regenerating axons. Forssman postulated the existence of such a directive influence and Cajal interpreted it as chemotactic in nature. This view was subsequently refuted by Weiss and Taylor. In our study the proximal stumps of transected rodent sciatic nerve were inserted into the single inlet end of a Y-shaped autogenous inferior vena cava graft. Into one limb of the double outlet end, namely the common iliac nerve bifurcation, the distal stump of the same sciatic nerve was inserted, while the counter limb was ligated in one group, left open in the second group, inserted with a segment of autogenous tendon in the third, and grafted with a segment of autogenous nerve in the fourth group. Both outlets were left unoccupied in yet another group as the control. The vena cava conduit was prepared so that a 1.5 cm gap existed between the proximal stumps of the sciatic nerve and the distal sciatic nerve stumps and the tendon grafts respectively. The grafted sciatic nerves were explored and biopsied after 12 weeks. The direction of nerve tissue regeneration in each group was analyzed histologically. Predilection of the regenerating nerve fibers toward the distal stumps was observed in each of the test groups. These results indicate the existence of a guiding influence at the distal stump toward the regeneration nerve fibers.
ISSN:0161-6412
1743-1328
DOI:10.1179/016164104225013815