Preservation of the cervical vagus nerve in aged rats: morphometric and enzyme histochemical evidence

The vagus nerve trunk, sampled at a mid-cervical level, has been analysed quantitatively by light and electron microscopy principally with respect to the numbers and sizes of the myelinated and unmyelinated axon populations in Wistar rats of 4, 24 and 30 months. No significant differences in total myelinated axon numbers were seen over the age range in counts made on light microscope montages of the entire cross-section of the nerve. The overall histological organisation and appearance of the nerve trunk did not change with age but age-associated alterations in the ultrastructure of some myelinated fibres and their Schwann cells was seen. Unmyelinated axons and their associated Schwann cells rarely showed age-associated changes. The numbers of myelinated and unmyelinated axons per mm2 determined from electron micrographs were, however, slightly decreased but the ratio of myelinated to unmyelinated axons was approximately 1:4 at all ages. Measurements of myelinated fibres showed a small but significant increase in size between young and old animals. There was an increase in the thickness of the myelin sheath, a decrease in myelinated axon diameter and in the the g ratio. The diameter of unmyelinated axons decreased with age and the number of unmyelinated axons per Schwann cell unit increased. The numbers, diameters and thickness of the walls of the vagal microvessels remained unchanged. Quantitation by microdensitometry of the activity of NADH tetrazolium reductase and succinate dehydrogenase in longitudinal sections of the vagus indicated an increase in the activity of these two metabolic markers whilst an increase in the activity of cytochrome oxidase indicated that neuronal activity in the vagus was unimpaired in old age. It is concluded that the structure of the rat vagus nerve, and in particular of its predominantly unmyelinated axon population, is not significantly affected in old age.