MOTONEURONAL DEATH WITHOUT EXPRESSION OF NADPH-DIAPHORASE ACTIVITY AFTER SCIATIC-NERVE CUT IN 5-DAY-OLD MICE

In BALB/c mice, the number of sciatic motoneurons lost was statistical ly insignificant whether the nerve was cut at one (P1) or five days (P 5) of age. Although the motoneurons showed intense NADPH-d staining af ter sciatic nerve cut at P1, they were NADPH-d negative when the nerve was cut at P5. The present study casts doubt on a neurodestructive ro le of NO in the sciatic motoneurons after axotomy at P1.