EARLY REGENERATION IN-VITRO OF ADULT-MOUSE SCIATIC AXONS IS DEPENDENTON LOCAL PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS BUT MAY NOT INVOLVE NEUROTROPHINS

The sensory axons of the adult mouse sciatic nerve were shown to regen erate after a local test crush lesion in vitro in a serum-free medium. The average outgrowth distance of the leading axons after culturing f or 3 days was 2.8 +/- 0.1 mm, which was shorter than in vivo (3.8 +/- 0.2 mm). With the use of a compartmentalised culture system we could s how that regeneration was partially dependent on local protein synthes is in the injury region. The initial stages of regeneration did not se em to involve neurotrophins since both K252a and K252b, selective and nontoxic inhibitors of the neurotrophin actions, failed to inhibit axo nal growth. The present in vitro model system offers favourable condit ions to investigate the early events of the regeneration process in an adult mammalian peripheral nerve.