Removal of the caudal half of a goldfish optic tectum induces optic fibres from the entire contralateral retina to terminate retinotopically within the remaining half. This compression has been viewed by some as the result of competition between the fibres and by others as a consequence of changes, induced by the surgery, in tectal labels guiding fibres to terminal sites. To distinguish between...

BACKGROUND The effect of acupuncture on nociceptive pain is well documented, but effects on nociceptive itch have been contradictory. OBJECTIVES To evaluate possible effects of acupuncture on the occurrence, distribution and function of sensory nerve fibres in human skin. METHODS Ten subjects were treated by inserting 10 acupuncture needles subcutaneously at the upper lateral aspect of one ...

pain Sir: We read with interest the recent review by Dr Kidd and colleagues on the role of the sympathetic nervous system in chronic joint pain and inflammation.' The authors suggest, on the one hand, a continued influence of the sympathetic nervous system on the inflammatory synovium while, on the other hand, they postulate that nerve fibres are destroyed in the synovial membrane in chronic rh...

Prolonged exposure to hand-held vibrating tools may cause a hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), sometimes with individual susceptibility. The neurological symptoms seen in HAVS are similar to symptoms seen in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and there is a strong relationship between CTS and the use of vibrating tools. Vibration exposure to the hand is known to induce demyelination of...

The effect of experimental tooth movement on nerve fibers immunoreactive to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and to protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 were studied, as well as the coincidence of these responses with changes in blood vessel density and distribution in the periodontal ligament (PDL) and pulp of young Wistar rats. The first right maxillary molar was moved mesially by an orthodon...

In this study, the innervation of the urethral muscle in adult male pigs was investigated using combined NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and immunocytochemistry. Nerve fibres supplying the urethral muscle were found to show NADPH-d activity and they also expressed immunoreactivity to catecholamine synthesising enzymes including tyrosine hydoxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D...

The myenteric plexus of the gastrointestinal tract was investigated in the obese diabetic mouse, an animal model of human type 2 diabetes. Sections were immunostained by the avidin-biotin complex method, using a general nerve marker, protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), as well as antibodies to several important neurotransmitters. Computerized image analysis was used for quantification. When dia...

This study examines the structure of sensory nerve endings in the sheep anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Three types of nerve endings are found: free nerve endings (FNE), Ruffini corpuscles, and lamellated corpuscles. The FNE (more than 100) are found subsynovially. The afferent nerve fibres are either thin myelinated axons (Adelta) or C fibres with diameters of 1-2 microm. FNE have been repor...

The establishment of retinotectal projections following transection of one optic nerve in developing Xenopus has been investigated. Between 3 weeks and 11 months after the operation, the nerve fibre tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied to either the operated or the unoperated nerve, and the brains were prepared for examination as whole mounts. In most cases fibres from the operated n...

I have examined the pathways of retinotectal fibres regenerating back to the contralateral tectum, and also to innervated and 'virgin' ipsilateral tecta in postmetamorphic Xenopus. The fibres were visualized by HRP labelling of either the whole optic nerve, or a selected quadrant of the retina. Most fibres grow into either the ipsilateral or contralateral optic tract, although a small proportio...