Regional difference in epidermal thinning after skin denervation

H.-Y. Chiang, I.-T. Huang, W.-P. Chen, Hsiung-Fei Chien, C.-T. Shun, Y.-C. Chang, S.-T. Hsieh

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37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Denervation of skin has a profound influence on epidermis; epidermal thinning was a consistent finding in rats. However, it is not clear whether the degree of epidermal thinning was similar in the region receiving the same innervation. In mice, how early epidermal nerves were degenerated after nerve injury remained unknown. To address these issues, we transected the sciatic nerve in mice and compared the changes of epidermal thickness in different areas of the hind foot skin. Epidermal nerves degenerated within 48 h after nerve transection, similar to what was observed in rats. Seven days after nerve transection, there was differential thinning of epidermis. The interpad area, in the center of the sciatic nerve-innervated region, exhibited the most profound degree of epidermal thinning (34.6 ± 3.1 vs 47.8 ± 2.4 μm, P <0.01). The heel area, in the periphery of the sciatic nerve-innervated zone, did not show significant thinning of epidermis after denervation (37.3 ± 4.8 vs 41.5 ± 5.1 μm, P > 0.05). The degree of epidermal thinning after denervation in the pad area was the intermediate one: with 98.8 ± 4.8 vs 120.1 ± 7.3 μm, P <0.02, in the fete pegs, and 51.1 ± 4.1 vs 62.1 ± 6.0 μm, P <0.02, in the dermal papilla. The differential thinning was obvious when the thickness of the denervated epidermis was normalized to that of the control epidermis with the ratios of 0.73 ± 0.03 in the interpad area, 0.83 ± 0.04 in the rete peg, 0.85 ± 0.05 in the dermal papilla, and 0.92 ± 0.05 in the heel. Epidermal thinning was reversed by reinnervation of the epidermis after sciatic nerve crush (41.5 ± 1.5 vs 45.0 ± 2.0 μm in the interpad area, P > 0.05). These findings suggest that sensory nerves exhibit trophic influences on the epidermis presumably through the effects of diffusible factors.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)137-145
Number of pages9
JournalExperimental Neurology
Volume154
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1998
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Axonal degeneration
  • Epidermis
  • Keratinocyte
  • Nerve degeneration
  • Protein gene product 9.5
  • Skin innervation
  • Unmyelinated nerves
  • animal tissue
  • article
  • denervation
  • epidermis
  • immunocytochemistry
  • male
  • mouse
  • nerve transection
  • nonhuman
  • priority journal
  • reinnervation
  • sciatic nerve
  • skin nerve
  • skinfold
  • Animals
  • Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
  • Denervation
  • Foot
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Nerve Crush
  • Nerve Regeneration
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Skin
  • Skin Physiology
  • Thiolester Hydrolases
  • Time Factors
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase

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