Electrophysiological evidence for an increase in the number of ventral root afferent fibers after neonatal peripheral neurectomy in the rat. 1989

U T Oh, and K J Kim, and E J Baik-Han, and J M Chung
Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.

Our recent study has shown that many afferent fibers in the ventral root are third branches of dorsal root ganglion cells in addition to their processes in the peripheral nerve and the dorsal root. From results of this study, we hypothesized that most of the afferent fibers in the normal ventral root are extra processes of certain dorsal root ganglion cells. To accommodate experimental findings by others, we formulated several working hypotheses in the present study as an extension of our previous hypothesis: these afferent processes in the ventral root are of varying length; they end bluntly along the length of the root; and in an event such as peripheral neurectomy in the neonatal stage, these fibers sprout at the blunt endings along the length of the ventral root. We tested the above hypotheses using electrophysiological methods. The sciatic nerve on one side in neonatal rats was cut. After the rat was fully grown, volleys of neural activity were recorded along the length of the ventral root while stimulating the dorsal root of the same segment. There was a great increase in the size of compound action potentials in the ventral root on the sciatic nerve-lesioned side. Various lines of evidence suggest that this enhancement of the evoked potentials is likely to be due to an increase in the number of afferent fibers in the ventral root in response to neonatal peripheral nerve injury. The results are consistent with our hypotheses.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009475 Neurons, Afferent Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
D011919 Rats, Inbred Strains Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding. August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D002452 Cell Count The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample. Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D004558 Electric Stimulation Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses. Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D005727 Ganglia, Spinal Sensory ganglia located on the dorsal spinal roots within the vertebral column. The spinal ganglion cells are pseudounipolar. The single primary branch bifurcates sending a peripheral process to carry sensory information from the periphery and a central branch which relays that information to the spinal cord or brain. Dorsal Root Ganglia,Spinal Ganglia,Dorsal Root Ganglion,Ganglion, Spinal,Ganglia, Dorsal Root,Ganglion, Dorsal Root,Spinal Ganglion
D000200 Action Potentials Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli. Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
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
D000831 Animals, Newborn Refers to animals in the period of time just after birth. Animals, Neonatal,Animal, Neonatal,Animal, Newborn,Neonatal Animal,Neonatal Animals,Newborn Animal,Newborn Animals
D012584 Sciatic Nerve A nerve which originates in the lumbar and sacral spinal cord (L4 to S3) and supplies motor and sensory innervation to the lower extremity. The sciatic nerve, which is the main continuation of the sacral plexus, is the largest nerve in the body. It has two major branches, the TIBIAL NERVE and the PERONEAL NERVE. Nerve, Sciatic,Nerves, Sciatic,Sciatic Nerves
D013126 Spinal Nerve Roots Paired bundles of NERVE FIBERS entering and leaving the SPINAL CORD at each segment. The dorsal and ventral nerve roots join to form the mixed segmental spinal nerves. The dorsal roots are generally afferent, formed by the central projections of the spinal (dorsal root) ganglia sensory cells, and the ventral roots are efferent, comprising the axons of spinal motor and PREGANGLIONIC AUTONOMIC FIBERS. Dorsal Roots,Spinal Roots,Ventral Roots,Dorsal Root,Nerve Root, Spinal,Nerve Roots, Spinal,Root, Dorsal,Root, Spinal,Root, Spinal Nerve,Root, Ventral,Roots, Dorsal,Roots, Spinal,Roots, Spinal Nerve,Roots, Ventral,Spinal Nerve Root,Spinal Root,Ventral Root

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