Long-term functional and morphological assessment of a standardized rat sciatic nerve crush injury with a non-serrated clamp

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Luis, AL (Author) ICBAS; Amado, S (Author) Other; Geuna, S (Author) Other; Rodrigues, JM (Author) FMUP; Simoes, MJ (Author) Other; Santos, JD (Author) FEUP; Fregnan, F (Author) Other; Raimondo, S (Author) Other; Prieto P Veloso (Author) Other; Ferreira, AJA (Author) Other; Armada da Silva, PAS (Author) Other; Varejao, ASP (Author) Other; Mauricio, AC (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Neuroscience Methods

Vol. 163 No. 1

Pages: 92-104

ISSN: 0165-0270

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 93 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 92 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Biomedical enginnering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-9BW

DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2007.02.017

Abstract (EN): We have recently described the sequence of functional and morphologic changes occurring after a standardized, sciatic nerve crush injury. An 8-week post-injury time was used because this end point is the far most used. Unexpectedly, both functional and morphological data revealed that animals had still not recovered to normal pre-injury levels. Therefore, the present study was designed in order to prolong the observation up to 12 weeks. Functional recovery was evaluated using sciatic functional index (SFI), static sciatic index (SSI), extensor postural thrust (EPT), withdrawal reflex latency (WRL) and ankle kinematics. In addition, quantitative morphology was carried out on regenerated nerve fibers. A full functional recovery was predicted by SFI/SSI, EPT and WRL but not all ankle kinematics parameters. Moreover, only two morphological parameters (myelin thickness/axon diameter ratio and fiber/axon diameter ratio) returned to normal values. Data presented in this paper provide a baseline for selecting the adequate end-point and methods of recovery assessment for a rat sciatic nerve crush study and suggest that the combined use of functional and morphological analysis should be recommended in this experimental model.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13