[Identification of property of nerve fascicles by physical and histochemistry methods]

To explore a method to identify the sensory and motor fascicles in peripheral nerve trunk.

Thirty Wistar rats were selected to obtain whole spine. The spinal ganglion, its dorsal root and ventral root, and sciatic nerve were harvested, Annexin V and Agrin specificities were observed with Western blot. In the experimental group, anterior branch and posterior branch of spinal nerve, sciatic nerve, and its muscular branch and cutaneous branch were harvested from 15 rats to make the observation of immunohistochemistry. In the other 15 rats, first antibody was replaced by PBS as control group. Different nerve fascicles were studied with Micro Raman scattering technique in 16 12-month-old New Zealand rabbits.

The Annexin V and Agrin were special substances of sensory and motor nerves respectively and can act as specific antigens for identifying different nerve fascicles. There were significant differences in the intensity and breadth of the peak of the spectral properties between motor and sensory fascicles at frequencies of 1,088, 1,276, 1,439, 1,579 and 1,659 cm(-1). The peak intensity ratios of 1,276 to 1,439 cm(-1) were 0.95+/-0.06 in motor nerve fascicles and 1.17+/-0.08 in sensory fascicles, showing significant differences (P<0.05).

The Micro Raman spectra is more effective than immunohistochemistry in identifying different nerve fascicles, and it possesses as feasibility for clinical application.