The morphological change of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons following peripheral nerve injury

Objective To study the dead character of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons following peripheral nerve injury in adult rats. Methods The right sciatic nerve of SD rat was cut and anastomosed. At different time points after operation, the L4~L6 dorsal root ganglia was taken and observed to study morphological change of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons body by light microscope and electron microscope ,the left sciatic nerve without injury as contrast. Results The chromatin in body of the injured sensory neurons concentrated under light microscope, the cell membrane invagination and the body of the right sensory neurons were divided into apoptotic body whereas the opposite was unchanged under electron microscope. Conclusion The morphological change of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons body coincidence dead character of the apoptosis (programmed cell death, PCD) after rat sciatic nerve injury.