Biomaterial Database

Ultrastructure of sciatic nerve of armadillo infected with Mycobacterium leprae. 1984

L N Mehta, and N H Antia

Ultrastructural observation of sciatic nerves from eight Armadillos were made. Six animals had intravenous inoculation of M. leprae, one had of foot pad, while one had natural leprosy. The available nerves were biopsied at various time sequence ranging from five weeks to twenty four months. Semithin sections did not reveal any neuropathy. Ultrastructurally perineurium was thick and endoneurial collagen was increased. Initially demyelination of non-myelinated fibres was seen in all nerves irrespective of mode of infection. This was followed by demyelination of small myelinated fibres. Active remyelination was predominantly after 17 months. Schwann cell activity was increased and various stages of division were seen. Bacilli were extracellular, intraxonal, in endothelium and in perineurium. Significant observations were on blood vessels. These observations are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007918	Leprosy	A chronic granulomatous infection caused by MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE. The granulomatous lesions are manifested in the skin, the mucous membranes, and the peripheral nerves. Two polar or principal types are lepromatous and tuberculoid.	Hansen's Disease,Hansen Disease
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D001808	Blood Vessels	Any of the tubular vessels conveying the blood (arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins).	Blood Vessel,Vessel, Blood,Vessels, Blood
D005260	Female		Females
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
D001135	Armadillos	Burrowing, chiefly nocturnal mammals of the family Dasypodidae having bodies and heads encased in small bony plates. They are widely distributed in the warmer parts of the Americas.	Armadillo
D001485	Basement Membrane	A darkly stained mat-like EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (ECM) that separates cell layers, such as EPITHELIUM from ENDOTHELIUM or a layer of CONNECTIVE TISSUE. The ECM layer that supports an overlying EPITHELIUM or ENDOTHELIUM is called basal lamina. Basement membrane (BM) can be formed by the fusion of either two adjacent basal laminae or a basal lamina with an adjacent reticular lamina of connective tissue. BM, composed mainly of TYPE IV COLLAGEN; glycoprotein LAMININ; and PROTEOGLYCAN, provides barriers as well as channels between interacting cell layers.	Basal Lamina,Basement Lamina,Lamina Densa,Lamina Lucida,Lamina Reticularis,Basement Membranes,Densas, Lamina,Lamina, Basal,Lamina, Basement,Lucida, Lamina,Membrane, Basement,Membranes, Basement,Reticularis, Lamina
D012583	Schwann Cells	Neuroglial cells of the peripheral nervous system which form the insulating myelin sheaths of peripheral axons.	Schwann Cell,Cell, Schwann,Cells, Schwann
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