Different factors promote axonal regeneration of adult rat retinal ganglion cells after lens injury and intravitreal peripheral nerve grafting

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 894-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Lorber ◽  
Martin Berry ◽  
Ann Logan
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Axonal Regeneration ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Nerve Grafting ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Grafting

scholarly journals Axonal regeneration of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve pre-lesions and attachment of normal or pre-degenerated peripheral nerve grafts

2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 661-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
SI-WEI YOU ◽  
KULDIP S. BEDI ◽  
HENRY K. YIP ◽  
KWOK-FAI SO
Keyword(s):  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Axonal Regeneration ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Lesion Effect ◽  
Nerve Grafts ◽  
Proximal Lesion ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Grafts

Axonal regeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) into a normal or pre-degenerated peripheral nerve graft after an optic nerve pre-lesion was investigated. A pre-lesion performed 1–2 weeks before a second lesion has been shown to enhance axonal regeneration in peripheral nerves (PN) but not in optic nerves (ON) in mammals. The lack of such a beneficial pre-lesion effect may be due to the long delay (1–6 weeks) between the two lesions since RGCs and their axons degenerate rapidly 1–2 weeks following axotomy in adult rodents. The present study examined the effects of the proximal and distal ON pre-lesions with a shortened delay (0–8 days) on axonal regeneration of RGCs through a normal or pre-degenerated PN graft. The ON of adult hamsters was transected intraorbitally at 2 mm (proximal lesion) or intracranially at 7 mm (distal lesion) from the optic disc. The pre-lesioned ON was re-transected at 0.5 mm from the disc after 0, 1, 2, 4, or 8 days and a normal or a pre-degenerated PN graft was attached onto the ocular stump. The number of RGCs regenerating their injured axons into the PN graft was estimated by retrograde labeling with FluoroGold 4 weeks after grafting. The number of regenerating RGCs decreased significantly when the delay-time increased in animals with both the ON pre-lesions (proximal or distal) compared to control animals without an ON pre-lesion. The proximal ON pre-lesion significantly reduced the number of regenerating RGCs after a delay of 8 days in comparison with the distal lesion. However, this adverse effect can be overcome, to some degree, by a pre-degenerated PN graft applied 2, 4, or 8 days after the distal ON pre-lesion enhanced more RGCs to regenerate than the normal PN graft. Thus, in order to obtain the highest number of regenerating RGCs, a pre-degenerated PN should be grafted immediately after an ON lesion.

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