Rupp A, Schmahl W, Lederer W, Matiasek K
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Ludwig Maximilians University, Veterinärstr. 13, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Anat Histol Embryol. 2007 Jun;36(3):202-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2007.00751.x.
The sciatic nerve in the rat is the site most often used for peripheral nerve regeneration studies. The length of sciatic nerve available for research, however, depends on the point at which the sciatic nerve divides into the peroneal and tibial nerves. In the present study, the hind limbs of 150 adult male rats of five different strains (Sprague-Dawley, Fischer 344, Wistar-Han, Lewis and Nude) were analysed with regard to femur length, the point at which the sciatic nerve divides into the tibial and peroneal nerves, and where these are surrounded by the same epineurium, and the point at which they are encased in individual epineurial sheaths. The results indicate that the lengths of sciatic nerve are fairly constant in all strains of rats. In absolute terms, they amount to about one-third of the length of the femur for stretches of undivided sciatic nerve, and up to nearly half of the femur length for stretches where the tibial and peroneal nerves are already present, but are still enclosed by the same epineurium. In 61.7% of the hind limbs examined in Fischer rats, however, no sciatic nerve could be seen as such, but only in the form of its successors surrounded by the separate epineuria. This makes it highly advisable not to use male adult Fischer rats in peripheral nerve regeneration studies with the sciatic nerve as the point of focus.
大鼠的坐骨神经是周围神经再生研究中最常使用的部位。然而，可用于研究的坐骨神经长度取决于坐骨神经分成腓总神经和胫神经的位置。在本研究中，对5种不同品系（斯普拉格-道利、费希尔344、威斯塔-韩、刘易斯和裸鼠）的150只成年雄性大鼠的后肢进行了分析，涉及股骨长度、坐骨神经分成胫神经和腓总神经的位置、这些神经被同一神经外膜包裹的位置以及它们被包裹在单独神经外膜鞘中的位置。结果表明，所有品系大鼠的坐骨神经长度相当恒定。就绝对长度而言，未分开的坐骨神经段长度约为股骨长度的三分之一，而胫神经和腓总神经已存在但仍被同一神经外膜包裹的神经段长度可达股骨长度的近一半。然而，在费希尔大鼠61.7%的后肢中，看不到坐骨神经本身，只能看到其后续分支被单独的神经外膜所包裹。这使得在以坐骨神经为重点的周围神经再生研究中，非常不建议使用成年雄性费希尔大鼠。
