GAP-43 expression correlates with spinal motoneuron regeneration following root avulsion

GAP-43 expression correlates with spinal motoneuron regeneration following root avulsion

BACKGROUND The growth-associated protein GAP-43 plays a crucial role in axonal regeneration in injured neurons. METHODS We have used immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of GAP-43 in spinal motoneurons during nerve reconstruction following root avulsion in the neonatal and adult rats. RESULTS Following the injury, GAP-43-immunoreactivity (IR) could be found in adult avulsed mo...

Spinal root avulsion: an excellent model for studying motoneuron degeneration and regeneration after severe axonal injury

Direct Spinal Ventral Root Repair following Avulsion: Effectiveness of a New Heterologous Fibrin Sealant on Motoneuron Survival and Regeneration

Axonal injuries at the interface between central and peripheral nervous system, such as ventral root avulsion (VRA), induce important degenerative processes, mostly resulting in neuronal and motor function loss. In the present work, we have compared two different fibrin sealants, one derived from human blood and another derived from animal blood and Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, as a prom...

Ventral root re-implantation is better than peripheral nerve transplantation for motoneuron survival and regeneration after spinal root avulsion injury

BACKGROUND Peripheral nerve (PN) transplantation and ventral root implantation are the two common types of recovery operations to restore the connection between motoneurons and their target muscles after brachial plexus injury. Despite experience accumulated over the past decade, fundamental knowledge is still lacking concerning the efficacy of the two microsurgical interventions. METHODS Thi...

Delayed implantation of a peripheral nerve graft reduces motoneuron survival but does not affect regeneration following spinal root avulsion in adult rats.

Adult spinal motoneurons can regenerate their axons into a peripheral nerve (PN) graft following root avulsion injury if the graft is implanted immediately after the lesion is induced. The present study was designed to determine how avulsed motoneurons respond to a PN graft if implantation takes place a few days to a few weeks later. Survival, regeneration, and gene expression changes of injure...