Abstract
This investigation was designed to compare standard scalpel transections of the tibial branch of the rat sciatic nerve with those performed using either a milliwatt carbon dioxide (CO2) or a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP/532) laser. Four transection groups consisted of nerves sectioned with (1) scalpel (control), (2) milliwatt CO2 laser, (3) KTP/532 with microscope attachment, and (4) KTP/532 laser with 400‐n‐m bare fiber. Each laser was used with the same parameters: 10 watts, 0.4‐mm spot size, and continuous‐wave mode. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied to the proximal stump for 30 min, and the animals were sacrificed 24 h later. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)‐labeled motoneuron cell bodies in the lumbar spinal cord were then counted. The average numbers of labeled neurons in each group were as follows: group I (n = 14) 518, group II (n = 8) 424, group III (n = 8) 351, and group IV (n = 8) 283. The standard deviations were quite large, however. When all laser transections were pooled and compared with paired scalpel transections, we found a significant difference, both by the paired t‐test (P = 0.016) and by the Wilcoxon matched‐paired test (P = 0.02). We conclude that laser transection significantly diminishes the number of neurons labeled by the retrograde transport of HRP.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 43-50 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Lasers in Surgery and Medicine |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1992 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- anterograde transport
- axonal transport
- horseradish peroxidase
- microtubules
- retrograde transport
- sciatic nerve
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Dermatology