Fibre sub-type specific conduction reveals metabolic function in mouse sciatic nerve

Rich, Laura; Brown, Angus M.

Abstract

The stimulus evoked compound action potential (CAP), recorded using suction electrodes, provides an index of the relative number of conducting axons within a nerve trunk. As such the CAP has been used to elucidate the diverse mechanisms of injury resulting from a variety of metabolic insults to central nervous white matter, whilst also providing a model with which to assess the benefits of clinically relevant neuro-protective strategies. In addition the technique lends itself to the study of metabolic cell-to-cell signalling that occurs between glial cells and neurones, and to exploring the ability of non-glucose substrates to support axon conduction. Although peripheral nerves are sensitive to metabolic insult and are susceptible to diabetic neuropathy, there is a lack of fundamental information regarding peripheral nerve metabolism. A confounding factor in such studies is the extended duration demanded by the experimental protocol, requiring stable recording for periods of many hours. We describe a method that allows us to record simultaneously the stimulus evoked CAPs from A and C fibres from mouse sciatic nerve, and demonstrate its utility as applied to investigations into fibre sub-type substrate use. Our results suggest that C fibres directly take up and metabolise fructose, whereas A fibre conduction is supported by fructose-derived lactate, implying there exist unique metabolic profiles in neighbouring fibre sub-types present within the same nerve trunk.

Citation

Rich, L., & Brown, A. M. (2018). Fibre sub-type specific conduction reveals metabolic function in mouse sciatic nerve. Journal of Physiology, 596(10), https://doi.org/10.1113/JP275680

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Mar 8, 2018
• Publication Date: May 15, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jun 20, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 9, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Physiology
• Print ISSN: 0022-3751
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-7793
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 596
• Issue: 10
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1113/JP275680
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/932787
• Publisher URL: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/JP275680