Intrahypothalamically Transected Neurosecretory Axons do not Regenerate in the Absence of Glial Cells

Fifteen days after transection of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract at the lateral retrochiasmatic hypothalamic area, neurosecretory axons had vigorously regenerated into transplants of explanted hypophysial neural lobe, to a lesser extent into sciatic nerve transplants, and least into optic nerve transplants. Regenerating axons were always closely associated with the specific glial cells of these grafts. When these glial cells were killed by cryotreatment prior to transplantation, neurosecretory axons did not regenerate into the abundant extracellular matrix of the transplants, including persisting basal lamina tubes in neural lobe and sciatic nerve grafts. The presence of viable glial cells is a prerequisite for neurosecretory axon regeneration.

Anatomy of Motor Axons to Direct Flight Muscles in Drosophila

The direct flight muscles of Drosophila melanogaster are innervated by the anterior dorsal mesothoracic (ADM) nerve and the mesothoracic accessory (MAC) nerve. Each of the four conspicuously large axons in the ADM nerve serves one of the muscles designated pal, pa3, pa4 and pa5. Muscle pa4 is additionally innervated by a very small neurosecretory axon. Muscle pa6, also innervated by the ADM nerve, receives at least one small nerve fibre but no large axon. Muscle pa2 is innervated by a large axon from the MAC nerve. Large motor axons, identified by serial section tracing from their respective muscles, are consistent among different individuals in both relative positions and relative diameters within the ADM nerve.

Insect peripheral nerves: accessibility of neurohaemal regions to lanthanum

During incubation in vivo, exogenously applied ionic lanthanum comes to surround the numerous neurosecretory terminals which are found lying within or immediately beneath the acellular neural lamella ensheathing the nerves from fifth instar and adult specimens of Rhodnius prolixus. The lanthanum does not penetrate beyond the cellular perineurium, which completely surrounds the non-neurosecretory axons in these nerves and constitutes a form of ‘blood-brain barrier’. In some cases, however, lanthanum is found in the vicinity of a neurosecretory axon lying beneath the perineurium, where it can be assumed to have leaked in from the neurosecretory terminal lying free in the neural lamella. When nerves are incubated in calcium-free media, regions with an attenuated perineurium become ‘leaky’, in that lanthanum is found lying in those extracellular spaces between axons and glia which lie immediately below the thin part of the perineurial layer. Bathing solutions made slightly hyperosmotic to the haemolymph with sucrose have no apparent disruptive effects on the barrier. When the tissues are incubated in more hypertonic solutions, the perineurial barrier becomes ‘leaky’ throughout, and tracer pervades beyond its cells into all the intercellular spaced between glia and axons. The possible role of the zonulae occludentes in both the maintenance of the perineurial barrier and in the formation of interglial occlusions to local penetration of exogenous substances is considered.