Loss of Neurons in the Dorsal Hoot Ganglia After Transection of A Peripheral Sensory Nerve:An anatomical study in monkeys

Abstract

Injury to a sensory nerve often results in a poor long term outcome, partly because of sensory motor mismatch of regenerating axons at the transection sice. We studied nine macaque monkeys and found that 27% of nerve cells in the projecting dorsal root ganglia had been lost 21 months after transection and suturing of the radial sensory nerve. No specific cell sizes were lost and the reduction was evenly distributed in the affected ganglia in which neurons had been labelled with a mixture of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate (WGA-HRP) and HRP alone.

Key Words:

• sensory ganglia
• horseradish peroxidase
• nerve injury
• monkey