Cooling enhances in vitro survival and fusion-repair of severed axons taken from the peripheral and central nervous systems of rats

Neurosci Lett. 2002 Jul 12;327(1):9-12. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(02)00378-6.

Abstract

Severed segments of rat peripheral (PNS; sciatic) and central nervous system (CNS; spinal) axons continue to conduct action potentials when maintained in vitro at 6-9 degrees C for up to 7 (sciatic axons) and 2 days (spinal axons), compared with only 36 h at 37-38 degrees C for sciatic axons and 6 h for spinal axons. These PNS and CNS axonal segments can be crushed and then treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), resulting in a rapid reconnection (fusion) of the surviving axons at the crush site, as assessed by conduction of action potentials through the crush site within minutes after PEG administration. Severed PNS or CNS axons maintained in vitro at 6-9 degrees C prior to crushing can be successfully PEG-fused for up to 4 and 1.5 days, respectively, compared with only 24 (sciatic) and 3 h (spinal) at 37-38 degrees C. These data demonstrate that cooling significantly increases both the survival time of severed mammalian PNS and CNS axons and the time that severed axons can still be PEG-fused (rejoined) to rapidly re-establish axonal continuity in vitro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Animals
  • Axons / drug effects
  • Axons / physiology*
  • Axotomy
  • Cold Temperature*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Male
  • Nerve Crush
  • Nerve Regeneration / drug effects
  • Nerve Regeneration / physiology*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / ultrastructure
  • Polyethylene Glycols / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Sciatic Nerve / cytology
  • Sciatic Nerve / physiology*
  • Solvents / pharmacology
  • Spinal Cord / cytology
  • Spinal Cord / physiology*
  • Wallerian Degeneration / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Solvents
  • Polyethylene Glycols