Visualization of regenerating sciatic nerve fibres by neurofilament immunohistochemistry

Regeneration of injured sciatic nerve in rats was studied with an immunohistochemical technique visualizing neurofilaments in nerve fibres as well as S-100 protein in Schwann cells. Outgrowing axons with delicate sprouts could be demonstrated along pathways formed by Schwann cells. In contrast, axons which had stopped growing or were degenerating showed bulb-like swellings in their terminal parts. The use of immunohistochemical techniques offers advantages over conventional neurohistochemical staining methods, enabling more detailed observations of nerve regeneration mechanisms in animals.