Occurrence of unmyelinated axon profiles at distal, middle and proximal levels in the ventral root L7 of cats and kittens

Abstract

The proportion of unmyelinated axon profiles (UAP) was estimated electron-microscopically at different proximo-distal levels in the ventral root L7 of 7 normal adult cats and 2 kittens. In 3 of the adult cats the occurrence of UAP was also determined in the juxtamedullary root fascicles, including the CNS/PNS transitional region. Three additional adult (male) cats, which had been subjected to prepubertal castration, were examined at mid-root level. Prepubertal castration was found not to interfere with the increase in L7 ventral root UAP that takes place during puberty. In the normal animals the proportion of UAP was highest distally in the ventral root and decreased as the spinal cord was approached. The same trend was seen in cats and kittens, but the values were obviously higher in adults. The content of UAP decreased markedly in the immediate vicinity of the CNS/PNS border. Very few unmyelinated axons and no myelinated CNS-type axons with sizes below the gamma range were found on the CNS side of this border. In addition groups of PNS-type unmyelinated and small myelinated axons occurred in the pia mater outside some juxtamedullary root fascicles.