Rapid growth of regenerating axons across the segments of sciatic nerve devoid of Schwann cells

The characteristic response of Schwann cells (SC) accompanies peripheral nerve injury and regeneration. To elucidate their role, the question of whether or not regenerating axons can elongate across the segments of a peripheral nerve devoid of SC was investigated. Rat sciatic nerve was crushed so that the continuity of SC basal laminae was not interrupted. A segment about 15 mm long distal to the crush was either repeatedly frozen/thawed to eliminate SC or scalded by moist heat which, in addition, denatured the proteins in the SC basal laminae, too. Both sensory and motor axons grew rapidly across the frozen/thawed segment of the nerve. Their rate of elongation was reduced by only 30% in comparison to control crushed nerves. SC were not present along the path of growing axons adhering tightly to the bare SC basal laminae. The rate of elongation of regenerating sensory and motor axons in scalded nerve segments was eight times lower than in control crushed nerves. SC were present in that part of the scalded region that had been invaded by the regenerating axons but no further distally. These results suggest that acellular basal laminae of SC provide very good, although not optimal, conditions for elongation of regenerating sensory and motor axons. If biochemical integrity of the basal lamina is destroyed, the regenerating axons must be accompanied or preceded by viable SC. and axon elongation rate is significantly reduced.