Focal axonal injury: the early axonal response to stretch.

The development of a model for axonal injury in the optic nerve of the guinea pig has allowed analysis of early morphological changes within damaged axons. We provide evidence that the initial site of damage after stretch is the nodes of Ranvier, some of which develop 'nodal blebs'. The development of nodel blebs is correlated with the loss of subaxolemmal density, disruption of the neurofilament cytoskeleton and aggregation of membranous profiles of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Nodal blebs are numerous 15 min after injury but less so at later survivals. The glial-axonal junction is intact at early survivals in damaged nodes. Marked accumulation of membranous organelles occurs in the paranodal and internodal regions adjacent to damaged nodes between two and six hours and is correlated with disruption of the myelin sheath. Axotomy and the formation of degeneration bulbs occurs between 24 and 72 h. The area of axonal injury is invaded by phagocytic cells by 72 h and large numbers of myelin figures occur within the neuropil until 14 days. The results are compared with those of other studies of diffuse axonal injury and other neuropathies. The time course of axonal changes is more rapid than during Wallerian degeneration. Our data from longer surviving animals is exactly comparable with published data. We are confident that the principal site of axonal injury is the node of Ranvier. We suggest that damage at the node results in disruption of axonal transport, which in turn leads to a cascade of events, culminating in axotomy between 24 and 72 h after the initial insult.