Detection of adhesion molecule in regeneration process of peripheral nerve.

神经重建的方法主要有神经缝合、游离神经移植和带血管神经移植。然而，神经重建后的再生机制尚未从分子水平阐明。本研究旨在探讨神经重建后神经再生过程中E-cadherin、N-cadherin和α-catenin的表达。大鼠坐骨神经用于研究。免疫组化法检测E-cadherin、N-cadherin和α-catenin的表达; Western blot法检测E-cadherin、N-cadherin和α-catenin的表达。甲苯胺蓝染色观察神经组织结构的修复情况。因此，E-cadherin的水平先下降，然后逐渐上升。N-cadherin的表达水平在重建后即刻逐渐增加。α-catenin表达水平无明显变化。免疫组织化学染色显示，轴突周围增生的雪旺细胞中E-cadherin表达增强。再生轴突周围N-cadherin表达增强。这些结果表明E-cadherin表达增加可能在雪旺细胞增殖、雪旺细胞-细胞接触和雪旺细胞-轴突接触中起重要作用，这些接触导致Bungner带的形成。此外，N-cadherin可能在神经再生过程中对再生轴突的延长和成熟起重要作用。此外，α-catenin可能与这些钙粘蛋白表达的增加无关。

There are three methodsfor nerve reconstruction, such as nerve suture, free nerve graft, and vascularized nerve graft. However, the details of regenerative mechanism have not been still clarified after nerve reconstruction in the molecular level. In this study, we examined the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and α-catenin in the nerve regeneration after nerve reconstruction. The rat sciatic nerve was used for the study. E-cadherin, N-cadherin and α-catenin expression were detected by Western blot analysis and the immunohistochemical staining with anti E-cadherin, N-cadherin and α-catenin monoclonal antibody. Furthrmore, the repair of the neural tissue structure was examined by toluidine blue staining. Consequently, the level of E-cadherin was decreased at first, and then gradually increased. The level of N-cadherin expression was gradually increased immediately after the reconstruction. The level of α-catenin expression showed no remarkable change. In the immunohistochemical staining, the increased expression of E-cadherin was detected in the proliferated Schwann cells around the axons. The increased expression of N-cadherin was detected around the regenerating axons. These results demonstrated that increased E-cadherin expression may play an important role in the Schwann cell proliferation, Schwann cell-cell contacts, and Schwann cell-axon contacts that lead to the formation of Bungner's band. Furthermore, N-cadherin may play an important role in the elongation and maturation of regenerating axon in the process of nerve regeneration. Moreover, it is suggested that α-catenin might not be correlated with these increased expression of cadherins.