Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2025
Live Imaging of Dorsal Root Axons after Rhizotomy
Published on: September 1, 2011
Rapid injection of lumbar dorsal root ganglia under direct vision: Relevant anatomy, protocol, and behaviors
Xiaoman Yuan1, Siyi Han1, Fengtian Zhao1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Introduction:
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are anatomically well-defined structures that contain all primary sensory neurons and are distension nodules of the dorsal root in the spinal cord near the medial surface of each foramen. Therefore, DRG is considered to be a desirable target for injection to manage chronic pain. But it presents a limitation in probing deep into it without in vivo injection technology.
Methods:
Here, we described a technique for administering intraganglionic injections of lumbar DRG under direct vision. We use partial osteotomy rather than laminectomy, which removes more bone, to preserve spinal structures while gaining adequate DRG access. To monitor the intraoperative progress of the DRG injection, a non-toxic dye was utilized. The effectiveness of the injection on the diffusion of AAV (adeno-associated virus) within the ganglion was assessed by histopathology at postoperative day 21.
Results:
Behavioral tests showed that neither motor nor sensory abilities were affected by saline or AAV injections. Meanwhile, the decreased pain threshold of SNI (spared nerve injury) was considerably restored by pharmacological inhibition of DRG neurons.
Discussion:
Our research achieved a new minimally invasive and intuitive intra-ganglionic injection in mice. In addition, the present protocol may serve as a valuable resource for planning preclinical studies of DRG injection.
