Inhibition of post-transectional axonal branching by alteration of microtubule polymerization. Effect on the quality of motor target reinnervation

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The occurrence of mass movements (synkinesis) and partial paresis after reconstructive surgery on peripheral nerves is inevitable. The reason for these symptoms is the "misdirected" reinnervation of the target muscles: each transected axon gives up to 25 daughter branches which grow completely misrouted along false endoneural tubes towards improper muscles. The aim of a previously DFG-supported project AN 331/2-1 was to improve the specificity of target reinnervation by reduction of the supernumerary axonal branches. As recently described (Streppel et al., Eur J Neurosci 15:1327-1342, 2002), this could be achieved to a statistically significant degree by local applications of neutralizing antibodies of NGF and BDNF. Still, to accomplish our work we would like to prove whether the reduction of branching was accompanied or followed by improved recovery of function by a computerized video based analysis of vibrissae motor performance.