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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 95-101 |
| Journal | Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience |
| Volume | 10 |
| Publication status | Published - 1996 |