COPPER BINDING AT PNS NODES OF RANVIER DURING DEMYELINATION AND REMYELINATION IN THE PERINEURIAL WINDOW

CECILE DE BAECQUE, C. S. RAINE, P. S. SPENCER

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nodes of Ranvier of peripheral nerves are associated with mucopolysaccharide which is capable of binding a wide variety of cations. The present study has determined the changes in the binding properties of the node of Ranvier during demyelination and remyelination in the perineurial window. The location of copper ion binding, visualized as a dense copper ferrocyanide precipitate, was studied in teased fibres from 60 rat peroneal nerves with single perineurial windows and from 8 normal nerves. In normal nerves, precipitate was present over the nodal axon and at the borders of the paranodal axon. Before demyelination, severely beaded fibres sited within the perineurial window displayed a reduction or a loss of nodal precipitate. During the period of myelin phagocytosis and demyelination, precipitate was absent throughout the denuded axon but present at adjacent, uninvolved nodes. At the commencement of remyelination, precipitate appeared at the newlycreated nodal and paranodal regions and at interfaces between preserved and remyelinating internodes. The density increased with myelin thickening. These findings indicate: (1) severely beaded regions lose their normal binding property before undergoing demyelination, (2) demyelinated regions do not bind copper ions, (3) remyelinating fibres bind copper ions at newly‐created nodes and (4) Schwann cells are responsible for the production of nodal mucopolysaccharides.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)459-470
Number of pages12
JournalNeuropathology and Applied Neurobiology
Volume2
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1976
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Histology
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Physiology (medical)

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