656
0007-4888/08/14550656 © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Dynamics of Morphological Changes
in the Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons in Compression
Injury of the Rat Maxillary Nerve
K. I. Krukov, G. V. Reva, S. S. Iordanov, and E. A. Kotsyurbii
Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 145, No. 5, pp. 597-600, May, 2008
Original article submitted February 20, 2007
The dynamics of reparative processes in rat trigeminal ganglion neurons was studied
during the early posttraumatic period; somatic location and interactions of neurons with
glial cells were evaluated. The neurons and their nucleoli were enlarged during this
period, proliferation of glial cell and transcription activity of chromatin increased. The
location of neuronal bodies belonging to the maxillary nerve was determined by the
phenomenon of chromatolysis. The neurons belonging to this nerve were located under
the node capsule.
Key Words: compression injury; rat; trigeminal ganglion; neurons; glia
Department of Histology, Cytology, and Cellular Biology, Vladivostok
State Medical University.
Address for correspondence
: kikrukov@
mail.ru. K. I. Krukov
Changes in neurons during the posttraumatic per-
iod provide effective regeneration of the peripheral
nerve and recovery of innervated tissue functioning
[8]. The data on morphological changes in Gasser’s
ganglia in response to facial skeletal bone injuries
are scanty and contradictory [7].
A stable trend to an increase in the incidence
and severity of traumatic injuries to the middle fa-
cial zone is observed at present [3,6], but studies
of the morphological aspects of this problem in
humans are difficult. Therefore, most studies are
carried out on laboratory models.
Despite numerous studies of changes in the
protoneurons after damage to their processes, there
is still no universal opinion on the pattern and out-
come of neuronal reaction to injury. It seems that
the contradictory data and difficulties in their com-
parative analysis are explained by differences in
experimental treatment and periods of analysis of
the material [4]. The time course of reparative pro-
cess, dynamic alternation and continuity of various
cell forms, their biological and more narrow me-
dical significance remain unknown up to the pre-
sent time [5].
Schwann’s cells analogs located in the spinal
nodes (satellite cells) are involved in the survival
of damaged sensory neurons. Surrounding the neu-
rons, they protect them from exposure to neurotoxins,
synthesize and release neurotrophic factors, and pha-
gocytose fragments of degenerating neurons [9-12].
We studied the dynamics of reparative proces-
ses in the rat trigeminal ganglion neurons during
the early posttraumatic period, evaluated the soma-
totopic location and the interactions of neurons
with satellite cells. During this period, enlargement
of neurons and their nucleoli, proliferation of glial
cells, and increase in chromatin transcription acti-
vity are observed in the absence of apparent neu-
rological symptoms.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was carried out on 40 outbred male al-
bino rats (4-6 months, 200-300 g), 30 of these were
used in experiments and 10 were controls. After
infliction of compression injury to the middle zone
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 145, No. 5, 2008 MORPHOLOGY AND PATHOMORPHOLOGY