Naslov
Activity cage as a method to analyze functional recovery after sciatic nerve injury in mice

Autori
Pavić, Roman ; Tvrdeić, Ante ; Tot, Ozana Katarina ; Heffer-Lauc, Marija

Izvornik
Somatosensory and motor research (0899-0220) 24 (2007), 4; 213-219

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
sciatic ; nerve ; injury ; activity cage ; regeneration

Sažetak
The aim of this paper is to show the activity cage as a viable method for tracking functional nerve recovery. The activity cage measures spontaneous coordinate activity, meaning movement in either the horizontal or vertical plane, of experimental animals within a specified amount of time. This uses a minimum of researcher time conducting functional testing to determine functional recovery of the nerve. Using microsurgical forceps, a crush injury was inflicted unilaterally, on the left side, upon the 4-month- old C3H mice creating a very high degree of pressure for 6 s upon the exposed sciatic nerve. The locomotion function of the mice was evaluated using the activity cage preoperatively, 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the surgical procedure. We found that using the activity cage functional recovery occurred by 14 days after nerve crush injury. It was also shown that, coinciding with functional recovery, immunohistochemistry changes for GD1a and nNOS appeared at the level of L4, where the sciatic nerve joins the spinal column. GD1a and nNOS have both been linked to regenerative processes in mammalian nervous systems.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA