​(Fig.88). Figure 8 Immunohistochemistry using the antibodies anti-S-100 (A, C, and E) and Collagen IV (B, D, and F) of the normal group (A and B), TPCL (C and D) and TPCLF (E and F), 60 days postsurgery. Scale = 100 μm. The anti-p75NTR antibody labeling was more intense for the TPCL and TPCLF groups as compared to the normal nerves (P < 0.001

and P < 0.001, respectively; Normal – 816.74 ± 137.68; TPCL – 6,675.88 ± 420.71; TPCLF – 9,789.59 ± 343.78, integrated density of pixels, mean ± SEM; Fig. ​Fig.9).9). A comparison between the two experimental groups treated using the tubulization technique revealed Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical greater labeling in the collagen implanted group (P < 0.001), consistent with the morphometrical data. Figure 9 Immunohistochemistry using the antibodies anti-p75NTR (A, D, and G) and double staining with the antibodies antilaminin and antineurofilament Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (B, E, and H) of the normal group (A and B), TPCL (D and E), and TPCLF (G and H), 60 days postsurgery. Scale ... Immunolabeling against collagen IV did not reveal any noticeable differences amongst the experimental groups and the normal nerves. The same Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical was observed for neurofilament staining (Figs. ​(Figs.77 and ​and8).8). Laminin immunoreactivity, on the other hand, was significantly weaker in the normal nerves and equally intense in the TPCL and TPCLF groups (Normal – 9,416.03 ± 863.05; TPCL – 14,141.60 ± 535.10; TPCLF – 14,495.82 ± 450.89, integrated density

of pixels, mean ± SEM, P > 0.01). Polarizing microscopy Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical For the longitudinal sections, polarizing microscopy revealed the presence of a highly birefringent pattern in the peripheral nerve. The normal nerve

showed a wavy pattern of fibers demonstrating alternately bright and dark regions. This was consistent with the disposition Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of collagen fibers around myelinated axons, and indicated opposed patterns of diverted polarized light, so that when the birefringence of the collagen was compensated, the myelin sheath was revealed and vice versa. This suggests that, the normal peripheral nerves have a supra-organization, and that the distensibility of the conjunctive almost tissue surrounding the axons lead to the formation of collagen crimps. The wavy pattern of the nerve as a whole indicated that the collagen fibers were opposed in a perpendicular way to the compacted lipids Selleckchem CP868596 present in the myelin sheath. This contributed to the formation of a helical three-dimensional structure. The present results indicated, for the first time, that the suprastructure of the nerve resulted from the presence of highly organized molecules within the endoneural sheath, and could be accessed by polarization microscopy (Fig. ​(Fig.1010). Figure 10 Analysis of the sciatic nerve birefringence under polarization microscope for the normal (A–C), TPCL (D–I), and TPCLF (J–O) groups. Birefringence of the nerve as a whole (A, D, G, J, and M); compensation of the birefringence of …