MORPHOMETRIC COMPARISON BETWEEN CONTROLATERAL SCIATIC-NERVES IN THE MALE AND FEMALE RABBIT

Some morphometrical parameters of the axons making up the controlatera l sciatic nerves, both in the male and female rabbits were calculated and compared by means of a Zeiss Vidas image analyser (Ober Kochen, Ge rmany). The results show that the fibres constituting the left nerve h ave a greater mean diameter but a lower mean density than those consti tuting the right nerve. This suggests that the diameter of the myelina ted fibres and the density of both the myelinated and unmyelinated fib res do not vary from male to female. On the other hand, the G ratio an d the diameter of the unmyelinated axons do, since the nerves on the r ight side (in both sexes) have higher morphometric values, on average, than the controlateral ones.