Morphological and Ultrastructural Analysis of the Watershed Zones After Stripping of the Vasa Nervorum

Abstract

Peripheral nerve trunks are well-vascularized structures where a well-developed collateral system may compensate for local vascular damage. Vasculitis in nerve has a predilection for epineurial vessels and causes to the peripheral neuropathy, which is a major clinical feature of primary and secondary systemic vasculitides. In the present study, the goal was to simulate the vasculitic neuropathy in rat sciatic nerve and to investigate the watershed zones after stripping of the epineural vessels of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic function index values, light and electron microscopic evaluations of the experimental sciatic nerve suggested that the sciatic nerve was normal except for some watershed zones located in the peripheral part of the nerve. Although there is abundant collateral circulation in the peripheral nerve, distribution of the vessels of the watershed zones as observed in the present study should be elucidated by further studies.