REINNERVATION OF CAT PACINIAN CORPUSCLES AFTER NERVE CRUSH

Citation
J. Zelena et G. Zacharova, REINNERVATION OF CAT PACINIAN CORPUSCLES AFTER NERVE CRUSH, Acta Neuropathologica, 93(3), 1997, pp. 285-293
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences,"Clinical Neurology",Pathology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00016322
Volume
93
Issue
3
Year of publication
1997
Pages
285 - 293
Database
ISI
SICI code
0001-6322(1997)93:3<285:ROCPCA>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
The reinnervation pattern of crural pacinian corpuscles was examined b y light and electron microscopy in eight adult cats of both sexes 3-18 months after sciatic nerve crush. Normal pacinian corpuscles are each supplied with a single myelinated axon and a single cylindrical axon terminal which may branch in the distal part of the inner core. Reinne rvation of these vibroreceptors was very satisfactory after sciatic ne rve crush: in a sample of 68 corpuscles examined 3-18 months after the operation, 92.6% were found reinnervated, while only 7.4% remained de nervated. At the nerve entry, 84.2% of the reinnervated corpuscles wer e supplied with a single myelinated axon, while 15.8% received two mye linated axons; some of the axons branched before or after entering the inner core. Near the mid-level of the inner core, 60.3% of 63 reinner vated corpuscles were innervated with a single axon terminal, 22.2% we re biterminal, while 17.5% had three or more terminals. Regenerated ax on terminals induced the formation of thin lamellar layers in the axia l region of the original core and, exceptionally, also at the outer as pect of the original core. In monoterminal corpuscles, the shape and u ltrastructure of regenerated endings resembled those of normal control s, whereas in multiterminal corpuscles their shape and profiles were v ariable. In contrast to previous reports, reinnervated corpuscles did not ultimately become monoterminal. On the contrary, the mean number o f 1.3 terminals found in reinnervated crural corpuscles at 3-5 months increased to 1.9 terminals per corpuscle 6-18 months after axotomy.