THE EFFECT OF REINNERVATION ON COLLAGEN FORMATION IN DEGENERATING SCIATIC NERVES OF RABBITS

Abstract

Chemical analysis was made of the regenerating and degenerating sciatic nerves 100 days after section of the nerve and suture to the skin on one side and of crushing of the nerve with a smooth tip forceps which produces interruption but allows complete regeneration. Collagen content was detd. by the method of Lowry, Gilligan and Katersky, modified by the authors and described in detail in previous communications. They find that there was no significant difference in collagen content between the re-innervated and the non-re-innervated nerves. The process of collagen formation set going by interruption of a nerve is apparently uninfluenced by re-innervation at least for the first 100 days after interruption. Net wt. and non-collagen N were higher in the re-innervated nerves, the difference probably representing approx. the material of the new nerve fibers.