The effect of a chronic breakdown of the blood-optic nerve barrier on the severed optic nerve in adult rat

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Beazley, L.D. | Tennant, M. | Dunlop, S.A.

Affiliations: Department of Zoology, The University of Western Australia, 6009 Nedlands, Australia

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 9 3802632; fax: +61 9 3801029.

Abstract: The changes brought about in the severed optic nerve of an adult rat when the blood-optic nerve barrier was chronically broken down by the local application of a solution of mannitol is described. Axonal labelling indicated that axons did not regenerate across the lesion site, refuting the suggestion that breakdown of the blood-optic nerve barrier can stimulate axonal regeneration. However, we observed that blood vessels were dilated and, between the eye and lesion site, provided a substrate for regenerating axonal sprouts. We suggest that blood-borne agents may directly or indirectly influence the navigation of the growth cones of regrowing axons.

Keywords: Blood-optic nerve barrier, Mannitol, Optic nerve regeneration, Rat

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-1996-10205

Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 95-101, 1996