Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Peripheral Nervous System”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 739 records · Page 41Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

The big brain gene of Drosophila functions to control the number of neuronal precursors in the peripheral nervous system.

big brain (bib) is one of the six known zygotic neurogenic genes involved in the decision of an ectodermal cell to take on the neurogenic or the epidermogenic cell fate. Previous studies suggest that bib functions in a pathway separate from the one involving Notch and other known neurogenic genes. For a better understanding of the bib function, it is essential first to characterize the mutant phenotype in detail. Our mutant analyses show that loss of bib function approximately doubles the number of neuronal precursors and their progeny cells in the embryonic peripheral nervous system. Mosaic studies reveal a hypertrophy of sensory bristles in bib mutant patches in adult flies. Our observations are compatible with a function of bib in specifying neuronal precursors of both the embryonic and adult sensory nervous system. This is in contrast to the function of Notch, which continues to be required at multiple stages of neural development subsequent to this initial determination event.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Nerve fibre degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous systems in severe protein deprivation in rats.

Knowledge from previous reports that kwashiorkor in man may lead to nerve fibre degeneration prompted this study on rats. The rats were subjected to severe protein deprivation from 6 weeks of age. Protein deprivation was achieved by feeding the rats ad lib with a diet containing only 1.5% protein. Control rats received an iso-caloric diet with 14% protein. The vitamin content in both diets was well above normal requirements. In relation to body weight the protein-deprived rats did not consume less food than the control rats. Protein deprivation resulted in stunted body growth, markedly reduced values of serum albumin, and changes in the fur accompanied by areas of alopecia. Furthermore, the protein-deprived rats showed degeneration of nerve fibres in the medial parts of the posterior columns of the cervical but not the sacral part of the spinal cord and nerve fibre degeneration in the distal but not the proximal parts of the longitudinal tail nerves. Teased nerve fibre preparations of the tail nerves revealed changes consistent with the Wallerian type of degeneration. It is concluded that severe protein deprivation in young rats may lead to a "dying-back" type of neuropathy in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Golli-MBP proteins mark the earliest stages of fiber extension and terminal arboration in the mouse peripheral nervous system.

The Golli-myelin basic protein (MBP) transcription unit gives rise to two sets of products. One set (i.e., the MBPs) is expressed exclusively in myelin forming cells and the other set (i.e., the golli isoforms) is expressed in both oligodendrocytes and neurons in the CNS. The two major golli proteins, generated from RNAs transcribed from the most upstream promoter of the gene, contain MBP peptide sequences in their C-terminal halves and are, therefore, structurally and immunologically related to the MBPs. We have examined the distribution and localization of golli proteins in the mouse peripheral nervous system (PNS) using immunocytochemistry with a golli-specific antibody. Golli immunoreactivity was first observed in sensory and motor fibers of the mouse at E11 during fiber tract extension, but prior to the maturation of terminal connections. Once neuromuscular junctions had formed, golli immunoreactivity appeared in motor endplates and persisted to the latest age examined, P60. Golli immunoreactivity was also observed in the cell bodies and processes of the dorsal root ganglia throughout development. Strong staining in the PNS of the dysmyelinating mutant shiverer suggested that the major golli protein in peripheral fibers was the BG21 isoform. Interestingly, golli immunoreactivity was also found in adrenal chromaffin cells, which share a common neural crest derivation with other postganglionic neurons that express golli protein. These results suggest that in addition to its role in early forming neuronal systems of the CNS, golli protein also plays a role in the early development and maintenance of neurons in the PNS.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Effects of occupational use of vibrating tools in the autonomic, central and peripheral nervous system.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to clarify the autonomic, central and peripheral nervous effects of vibrating-tool operation. METHODS: The ECG R-R interval variability (CVRR), including the C-CVHF, C-CVLF (two component CVs of the CVRR reflecting parasympathetic and sympathetic activities, respectively) and the power spectral densities (PSDHF and PSDLF) after autoregressive analysis, short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), distribution of nerve conduction velocities (DCV), and median and radial nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) were measured in 17 vibrating-tool operators and the same number of age-matched control subjects. Some of the operators complained of white finger even in summer as soon as they arrived at the cold workplace. DESIGN: The significance of the differences in neurophysiological data between the exposed and unexposed groups and the associations between these data in the former were investigated. RESULTS: The CVRR, C-CVHF and PSDHF were significantly lower in the vibrating-tool operators than in the matched controls. The N9-N13 interpeak latency of the SSEP, i.e., conduction time of the cervico-spinobulbar pathway, in the operators was significantly prolonged as compared with the controls; the faster velocities of the DCV and the NCVs were significantly slowed in the operators. The N9-N13 interpeak latency in the operators was significantly correlated with the C-CVHF. CONCLUSION: Complex stressors of local vibration, cold, noise and heavy work, seem to affect the cervico-spinobulbar, parasympathetic and peripheral nerve functions. Also, parasympathetic hypofunction may imply a consequence in brainstem pathology induced by cold exposure in addition to vibration.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Use of somatosensory evoked potentials to evaluate the peripheral nervous system.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are being used increasingly to evaluate peripheral somatosensory pathways. They have been used in patients with plexus lesions but may provide misleading information when multiple lesions are present, demonstrating only the electrophysiologic consequences of the most distal lesion that is present. Ulnar SEPs can be abnormal in neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, whereas they are normal in the nonneurogenic variety. SEPs to nerve trunk stimulation are generally not helpful in patients with isolated radiculopathies, and SEPs elicited by dermatomal or cutaneous nerve stimulation have provided conflicting results. SEPs may be important in evaluating conduction along inaccessible proximal segments of limb nerves. Their value in Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which pathology may be predominantly proximal, is unclear. In evaluating peripheral neuropathies, SEPs can sometimes be useful when peripheral sensory nerve action potentials are unobtainable; sometimes, however, SEPs provide misleading information concerning conduction velocity. The SEP findings should not be relied on to determine whether sensory loss is organic or nonorganic, although they are one factor to consider in making this determination.

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Functional changes of the peripheral nervous system with aging in the mouse.

The influence of aging on peripheral nerve and target organ function was investigated in six groups of mice aged 2, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. Sudomotor, motor, and sensory functions mediated by the sciatic nerve were evaluated by silicone imprints, electrophysiological recordings and pinprick test from the distal hindpaw. Nerve conduction was also studied in the caudal nerves. The results showed that the number of sweat glands reactive to pilocarpine does not change significantly with aging, but the size of the sweat droplets is smaller in aged mice than in young mice. The amplitude of muscle and nerve action potentials evoked by stimulation of sciatic and caudal nerves decreased progressively from 2 to 24 months, while the latencies decreased from 2 to 6 months, remained unchanged until 12 months and increased thereafter. All the animals of the six groups studied showed positive, indistinguishable responses to pinprick. These results indicate that neurophysiological responses mediated by large diameter nerve fibers deteriorated with age, while those dependent of small fibers were preserved.

Aging↗