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Membrane flow within the myelin sheath in IDPN neuropathy

A E Blaurock1, M B Genter St Clair, D G Graham

  • 1Department of Physiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.

Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
|August 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) causes significant axon swelling in rat spinal roots. Myelin structure remains intact, suggesting a fluid membrane model for myelin during neuropathy.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) is a neurotoxin known to induce neuropathy.
  • Understanding the ultrastructural changes in myelin during neuropathy is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ultrastructural changes in axons and myelin sheaths during IDPN-induced neuropathy in rats.
  • To elucidate the structural dynamics of myelin membranes under pathological conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Light microscopy was used to assess axon swelling in spinal roots.
  • X-ray diffraction was employed to analyze myelin membrane structure and packing under physiological conditions.
  • Ultrastructural methods were applied to examine both central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin.

Main Results:

  • IDPN injection led to a substantial increase in axon cross-sectional area (280%) and perimeter (160%) in spinal roots.
  • Myelin membrane packing, lipid bilayer thickness, and inter-bilayer aqueous spaces remained unchanged.
  • Similar observations were noted in posterior tibial nerve (PNS myelin) and ventral spinal cord (CNS myelin).

Conclusions:

  • The findings support a fluid myelin membrane model, where the membrane can flow during axon swelling while maintaining structural integrity.
  • Normal membrane-membrane contacts within the myelin sheath are preserved despite significant axon diameter changes.
  • A molecular model is proposed to explain membrane flow and slippage within the multilayered myelin sheath.

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