results are illustrated in the upper left. Viewing this nerve
with TEM reveled several important things.
First, the damage seems to be to the myelin, sparing the axon.
Second, the myelin appears to be liquefied in some nerves,
as illustrated in the upper right panel.
It seems reasonable to postulate that what we might be observing
free radical induced injury, possibly related to reperfusion
injury reported elsewhere in the nervous system.
Vitamin E: An antioxidant
An experiment was set up with 36 rats, 18
fed a normal vitamin E diet (75 mg/kg) and 18 fed a high
vitamin E diet (1000 mg/kg) for four week prior to surgery.
On the right leg of each animal a sham operation was performed
where the sciatic nerve was mobilized, a cuff place around
it, the cuff was then removed. On the left hind leg, the
same electrode was implanted and left in place for 2 weeks.
The vitamin E diet regimes were maintained throughout the
Section from nerve of a sham implant from a normal Vitamin
E diet with significant axonal changes, is shown in this
from nerve of a cuff implant from a normal Vitamin E diet
is shown in this figure (Top).
In the bottom a nerve section from a cuff implant from a High
Vitamin E diet is shown.