Phenotypic changes of Schwann cells after sciatic nerve injury of rats in vivo / 中华显微外科杂志

ABSTRACT

@#Objective To describe the rule of the phenotypic changes of schwann cells after peripheral nerve injury.Methods All experiments were performed on 18 male SD rats.Right midsciatic nerves were cut and were repaired by epineurium suture.At selected time points after injury(1 week,2 weeks,3weeks;n=6 rats for each time point),the proximal and distal sciatic nerve stumps(approximately a 2 mm length of nerve to the injured tip)were removed for detecting the expressions of GFAP,Sox2 and Krox20 by immunofluorescence methods. Results After sciatic nerve transection.there was expansion in the population of GFAP-labeled Schwann cells both in the proximal and distal stumps,and those expression reached the peak near to 7 d.Sox2 was neural stem cell markers and there was no Sox2-expressed cells stumps after nerve injury.And Krox20 positive Schwann cells continuously decreased in the first week,then had increased. Conclusion The differentiated stage of Schwann cells during peripheral nerve repair can be detected by using immunolabeling,and the observation above may be beneficial to find methods in improving nerve regeneration.