Spatial arrangements of dorsal root ganglion cells after sciatic nerve crush

The present study explores 3D spatial arrangements of the A- and B-cells within the fifth lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of rat in order to test for differences after sciatic nerve crush (SNC). The pair correlation and cross-correlation functions were estimated through counting dipole probes superimposed on DRG sections. The data showed that the A- and B-cells were clustered at distances below 40 and 35 μm in sham-operated animals, respectively. These values were 35 and 25 μm in SNC animals. Beyond these distances, the cells of the control group were arranged neither clustered nor repulsed. The A- and B-cells showed a negative correlation (repulsion) at r=270-290 μm and r=100 in SNC ganglions, respectively. The plot of the cross-correlation function showed that the first maximum curve was r=51 μm and 41 μm in sham-operated and SNC rats, respectively. The other differences were seen at r=51-61 μm and r=165 μm between cross-covariance of the cells. The "degree of order" for the A- and B-cells showed no significant difference and the low values of the two groups indicated the random distribution of cells in them.

The obtained data revealed that cellular spatial patterns in the dorsal root ganglion of the sciatic nerve crush were changed.