Different expression patterns of NADPHª²d positive neurons after facial nerve ligation in neonatal and adult rats

    ZHOU Baiª²Yu, WANG Jing, ZHOU Yuª²Bao

    Department of Neurology, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chinese PLA 451 Hospital, Xi¬ðan 710054, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To establish the neonatal and adult rat models of facial nerve ligation and observe the dynamic changes of NADPHª²d positive neurons in the facial nucleus after ligation. METHODS: The neonatal and adult rats¬ð facial nerve was ligated at stylomastoid foramen. Brain tissues 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, 84 d after operation respectively were prepared for pathological sections of facial nuclei and then the sections were stained with NADPHª²d for observing the morphological change of facial motoneurons(FMN). RESULTS: The number of NADPHª²d positive FMN increased significantly in adult rats from 3 d to 12 wk after facial nerve ligation, while the NADPHª²d positive FMN in neonatal rats was found in the lesion side during 1ª²8 weeks after ligation. CONCLUSION: After facial nerve ligation, the number of NADPHª²d positive FMN increased in both the neonatal and the adult rats, while their expression patterns are quite different in these 2 groups. ......