Segmental demyelination in peripheral nerves of old cats

This study of the fine structure of sciatic nerve branches in normal old cats provides evidence indicating that segmental demyelination may account, in part, for the significant decrease with age in the mean axonal conduction velocity in these hindlimb nerves. Fibers of different diameters exhibited focal abnormalities of their myelin sheath. Lipid-like droplets and granulo-vacuolar debris were present in distended portions of the inner adaxonal rim and in the outer cytoplasmic compartment of the Schwann cell. These inclusions extended into the cytoplasm of the paranodal myelin loops and clefts of Schmidt-Lantermann. There also occurred disruption of the axoglial junctions and separation of the myelin loops from the paranodal axolemma which widens the nodes of Ranvier. Complete disruption of one or more contiguous segments of the myelin sheath was produced by interlamellar splitting and ballooning along the major dense and intraperiod lines. Axonal degeneration occurred less frequently and was not present in all hindlimb nerves.