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Microtubules and neurofilaments in the sciatic nerve fibres of the developing rat: Effects of thyroid deficiency
Author(s) -
Marc Christine,
Rabié Alain
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(85)90069-3
Subject(s) - neurofilament , microtubule , sciatic nerve , anatomy , biology , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , immunohistochemistry
Microtubules and neurofilaments were counted in cross‐sections of the sciatic nerve fibres of young rats at various stages of development. A linear relationship was found between the numbers of microtubules and neurofilaments and the size of the fibre. The number of microtubules progressively increased during the first two postnatal weeks. Neurofilaments appeared slightly later than microtubules. In thyroid deficiency, the number of microtubules was diminished. The number of neurofilaments was not markedly affected. The ratio of neurofilaments to microtubules was thus increased. The severe retardation of sciatic nerve growth observed in thyroid deficiency might be related to the reduced number of microtubules and to a diminution in fibre plasticity induced by the higher neurofilament to microtubule ratio.