[Effects of adriamycin on axotomized neurons in regeneration chamber model of the peripheral nerve].

Peripheral nerve tubulization is mainly used to study regeneration. We used this model to study the effects of adriamycin on axotomized dorsal root ganglion neurons after local administration of this drug in silicone chambers placed on the proximal stump of a sectioned nerve. No massive neuronal degeneration has been detected in the dorsal root ganglia. However, adriamycin induced a significant atrophy in axotomized neurons. Our observations indicate that this effect is due to blood borne transport of adriamycin, rather than retrograde axonal transport, and that it affects also axotomized neurons that are not directly exposed to adriamycin at the sectioned stump of their axon.