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Tissue Preparation and Immunostaining of Mouse Sensory Nerve Fibers Innervating Skin and Limb Bones
Published on: January 26, 2012
Distribution of elastic system fibers in the peripheral nerves of mammals
J M Ferreira1, E G Caldini, G S Montes
1Department of Histology and Embryology, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract:
Various nerves of 6 representative species of mammals (including the human) were studied by the comparative association of the selective staining methods of light microscopy with the ultrastructural observation after tannic acid-glutaraldehyde fixation, which provided a reliable means of characterizing the different elastic system fibers. Although mature elastic fibers are not present in nerves, elastic-related fibers are frequently observed: oxytalan fibers are found mainly in the endoneurium, whereas elaunin fibers predominate in the epineurium. These fibers are longitudinally disposed, in a parallel orientation to the axons. The fact that these findings were consistently observed in the nerves of all species studied argues strongly in favor of the existence of a uniform structural pattern of distribution of elastic system fibers in nerves as a general phenomenon in mammals.
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