Biomaterial Database

Quantitative characterization of regenerating axons after end-to-side and end-to-end coaptation in a rat brachial plexus model: a retrograde tracer study. 2007

Kanit Sananpanich, and Mary P Galea, and Wayne A Morrison, and Aurora Messina

Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.

The efficacy of end-to-side repair as a method of nerve reconstruction has been questioned, and most studies that characterize the mode of re-innervation are marred by inappropriate experimental design and lack quantitative analysis. This makes characterization of re-innervating neurons confusing and consequently controversy remains as to the extent and source of reinnervating axons. In an experimental brachial plexus rat model, we transected the musculocutaneous nerve, labeled its neuron pool with Fast-Blue and joined the distal stump to the side of the intact ulnar nerve, or to the proximal stump of the divided ulnar nerve, to characterize neurons that reinnervate the recipient nerve. Tetramethyl-rhodamine dextran (TMRD) or fluoro-gold was used to map the reinnervating motor and sensory neurons at 12 weeks post-transection. No neurons originally labeled from musculocutaneous nerve were subsequently labeled with TMRD or fluoro-gold, showing that this original neuron pool does not contribute to re-innervation of the distal musculocutaneous nerve, but that reinnervation occurs solely by ulnar nerve motor and sensory axons. In the end-to-side group, 16.4% of the motor and 7% of the sensory donor ulnar nerve neurons re-innervated the musculocutaneous nerve exclusively, and a further 10% motor and 11.6% sensory innervated the musculocutaneous nerve by collateral sprouting of their axons. This compared to re-innervation by 62.6% of motor and 70.4% of ulnar nerve sensory neurons in the positive control that underwent end-to-end repair. Our results confirm the concept of collateral sprouting and support the use of end-to-side repair.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009046	Motor Neurons	Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS.	Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009138	Musculocutaneous Nerve	A major nerve of the upper extremity. The fibers of the musculocutaneous nerve originate in the lower cervical spinal cord (usually C5 to C7), travel via the lateral cord of the brachial plexus, and supply sensory and motor innervation to the upper arm, elbow, and forearm.	Musculocutaneous Nerves,Nerve, Musculocutaneous,Nerves, Musculocutaneous
D009416	Nerve Regeneration	Renewal or physiological repair of damaged nerve tissue.	Nerve Tissue Regeneration,Nervous Tissue Regeneration,Neural Tissue Regeneration,Nerve Tissue Regenerations,Nervous Tissue Regenerations,Neural Tissue Regenerations,Regeneration, Nerve,Regeneration, Nerve Tissue,Regeneration, Nervous Tissue,Regeneration, Neural Tissue,Tissue Regeneration, Nerve,Tissue Regeneration, Nervous,Tissue Regeneration, Neural
D009475	Neurons, Afferent	Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
D010525	Peripheral Nerves	The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves. Peripheral nerves contain non-neuronal cells and connective tissue as well as axons. The connective tissue layers include, from the outside to the inside, the epineurium, the perineurium, and the endoneurium.	Endoneurium,Epineurium,Perineurium,Endoneuriums,Epineuriums,Nerve, Peripheral,Nerves, Peripheral,Perineuriums,Peripheral Nerve
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D005456	Fluorescent Dyes	Chemicals that emit light after excitation by light. The wave length of the emitted light is usually longer than that of the incident light. Fluorochromes are substances that cause fluorescence in other substances, i.e., dyes used to mark or label other compounds with fluorescent tags.	Flourescent Agent,Fluorescent Dye,Fluorescent Probe,Fluorescent Probes,Fluorochrome,Fluorochromes,Fluorogenic Substrates,Fluorescence Agents,Fluorescent Agents,Fluorogenic Substrate,Agents, Fluorescence,Agents, Fluorescent,Dyes, Fluorescent,Probes, Fluorescent,Substrates, Fluorogenic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013536	Suture Techniques	Techniques for securing together the edges of a wound, with loops of thread or similar materials (SUTURES).	Suture Technics,Suture Technic,Suture Technique,Technic, Suture,Technics, Suture,Technique, Suture,Techniques, Suture