Axonal Regeneration and Development of De Novo Axons from Distal Dendrites of Adult Feline Commissural Interneurons After a Proximal Axotomy

Following spinal cord injury, some nerve cells sprout new axons from their dendrites. This study aimed to see if this happens in spinal interneurons. The researchers found that some spinal interneurons, when cut near their cell body, did indeed grow new axons from their dendrites. These new axons had features similar to regular axons. Additionally, some interneurons developed long, axon-like extensions directly from the cell body or nearby dendrites, potentially indicating an attempt to regenerate the original axon.

• 1
  Nearly half of the spinal commissural interneurons (CINs) had de novo axons that emerged from distal dendrites after axotomy.
• 2
  These de novo axons lacked immunoreactivity for the dendritic protein MAP2a/b and some had GAP-43-immunoreactive terminals.
• 3
  Some CINs had a long axon-like process (L-ALP) that projected directly from the soma or a proximal dendrite, and some L-ALPs projected through the lesion.