The differential expression of N-cadherin in vascularized and nonvascularized nerve grafts: A study in a rat sciatic nerve model

The authors investigated N-cadherin expression in vascularized and nonvascu larized nerve grafts using a rat sciatic nerve model. The vascularized and nonvascularized nerve grafts were elevated, and then both nerves were sutur ed to the original site. At various periods after the operation, the entire graft was removed. N-cadherin expression was detected via Western blot ana lysis and histochemical staining using anti-N-cadherin antibody. In both gr afts, the level of N-cadherin expression increased after the operation, but during postoperative weeks 6, 9, and 12, the level in the vascularized gra ft was significantly (p = 0.00023, 0.0018, and 0.0010, respectively) higher than that in the nonvascularized graft. At postoperative week 14, the leve l of both grafts returned to the control level. Histochemical findings show ed that N-cadherin was expressed around the regenerated axons in both graft s, and the degree of regeneration was greater in the vascularized graft tha n in the nonvascularized graft. These results demonstrate that the expressi on of N-cadherin increases during the process of axonal regeneration in bot h grafts, and that the degree of the expression is augmented by vasculariza tion of the nerve graft.