REGENERATION OF VISUAL CORTEX NEURONS IN ADULT GOLDEN HAMSTERS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

A segment of autologous sciatic nerve was transplanted into the 17/18a borderoregion or near the midline of the occipital brain in the adult golden hamsters.After42-131 days survival time,HRP (50% in saline) was administered to the cut endof the graft.It was found that the neurons of different sizes and shapes in visualcortex can be induced to regenerate their fibers into the peripheral nerve graft forup to 10mm;Some of the regenerated cells became larger than that of the normal cells.in the visual cortex,which is similar to that in the retina,but the ability of regenera-tion of the cortical neurons is much lower than that of the retinal ganglion cells.Fluorescent dye double-labelling method was used and it was demonstrated thatthe callosal neurons in visual cortex can regenerate their fibers into peripheral nervegraft,the regenerative fibers originated from axotomized neurons rather than fromcollateral sprouting of undamaged neurons.Predegeneration treatment for the sciaticnerve did not enhance the regeneration of neurons in the visual cortex.Extradamagemade near the graft insertion does not seem to increase the quantity of regenerationcells in the visual cortex.The results of the experiment suggest that peripheral nerve graft can induceregeneration of neurons in visual cortex and the local environment is one of theimportant factors affecting the ability of regeneration of mammalian CNS.