ABSTRACT
The authors investigated the expression of three kinds of catenins (α, β, γ) in vascularized
and non-vascularized nerve grafts, using the rat sciatic nerve model. The vascularized
nerve, 15 mm in length, was elevated with its nutrient vessels in the left hindlimb
of rats. In the right hindlimb, a 15-mm segment of the sciatic nerve was elevated
(resected) without the nutrient vessels as a non-vascularized nerve. Both nerves were
sutured to the original site. At various periods up to 14 weeks after operation, the
entire graft was removed. Expression of three catenins was detected by Western blot
analysis and histochemical staining, using the antibody to each catenin. The level
of β catenin increased during nerve regeneration in both the vascularized and non-vascularized
grafts, while the level of α and γ catenins did not increase in both grafts. There
was no difference in the level of the three catenins between the two methods of nerve
grafting. Histochemical findings showed that at the 4th and 14th postoperative weeks,
α and γ catenins were stained diffusely in both grafts, while β catenin was stained
around the regenerating axons in both grafts. The degree of β catenin was greater
in the 4th postoperative week than in the 14th postoperative week, but no obvious
difference in the degree of staining of the three catenins between two grafts was
found. These results suggest that β catenin may play a different role from α and γ
catenins in nerve regeneration, and that the expression of these catenins is not influenced
by vascularization of the nerve graft.
KEYWORDS
Nerve graft - catenins - rat model
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*Written by Wayne Rasband at the US National Institutes of Health, and available on
floppy disk from NITS, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA, USA, part number PB93-504868
