Spatial arrangements of dorsal root ganglion cells after sciatic nerve crush.

UNLABELLED: The present study explores 3D spatial arrangements of the A- and B-cells within the fifth lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of rat in order to test for differences after sciatic nerve crush (SNC). The pair correlation and cross-correlation functions were estimated through counting dipole probes superimposed on DRG sections. The data showed that the A- and B-cells were clustered at distances below 40 and 35 μm in sham-operated animals, respectively. These values were 35 and 25 μm in SNC animals. Beyond these distances, the cells of the control group were arranged neither clustered nor repulsed. The A- and B-cells showed a negative correlation (repulsion) at r=270-290 μm and r=100 in SNC ganglions, respectively. The plot of the cross-correlation function showed that the first maximum curve was r=51 μm and 41 μm in sham-operated and SNC rats, respectively. The other differences were seen at r=51-61 μm and r=165 μm between cross-covariance of the cells. The "degree of order" for the A- and B-cells showed no significant difference and the low values of the two groups indicated the random distribution of cells in them.

CONCLUSION: The obtained data revealed that cellular spatial patterns in the dorsal root ganglion of the sciatic nerve crush were changed.