Rapid degeneration of developing rat Pacinian corpuscles after denervation

The effect of denervation upon the development of Pacinian corpuscles was investigated in the crural interosseous membrane of the rat during the early postnatal period. When the sciatic nerve was transected in 1-day-old rats, further development of immature Pacinian corpuscles was arrested and their structure rapidly disintegrated. In the main cluster of corpuscles, Pacinian axon terminals degenerated within 12 h after the operation and were phagocytised by the inner core cells. Subsequently large dense inclusion bodies and vacuoles with dense debris appeared in the inner core and capsule, and cell autolysis and pyknosis ensued from the 2nd day onwards. The debris of degenerated cells was removed by macrophages and the disintegration of individual corpuscles was completed 2-5 days after nerve section. Normal interosseous membranes of 2-6-day-old rats contained 54.9 +/- 1.2 (+/- S.E.) Pacinian corpuscles, as revealed by staining for cholinesterase. The total days after denervation, dropped to 38% on day 3, decreased further to 15% on day 4 and reached zero values on day 5 after nerve section. The experiments demonstrate that the postnatal development and growth of the non-nervous components of Pacinian corpuscles is completely dependent upon the neuronal induction exerted by sensory axon terminals.