Does Collagenase Affect the Electrophysiological Parameters of Nerve Trunk?

• Published in: YAKUGAKU ZASSHI Vol. 123; no. 12; pp. 1031 - 1037
• Main Authors: DALKILIC, Nizamettin, KIZILTAN, Erhan, PEHLIVAN, Ferit, KOSE, Kenan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01-12-2003; Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
• Subjects: Action Potentials - drug effects; Animals; collagenase; Collagenases - pharmacology; compound action potential; Depression, Chemical; fiber diameter distribution; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Myelin Sheath - drug effects; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - drug effects; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - physiology; Neural Conduction - drug effects; Rana catesbeiana; Sciatic Nerve - drug effects; Sciatic Nerve - physiology; suction technique; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0031-6903; 1347-5231
• DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.123.1031

Collegenase is widely used in the process of teasing a nerve in order to perform single fiber action potential (SFAP) recordings. In this study, the effects of collagenase on nerve conduction parameters were investigated. To accomplish this, normal compound action potentials (nCAPs) were recorded from isolated frog sciatic nerve at various distances using the suction technique. Then, the same nerve was treated with collagenased Ringer's solution (3.5 mg/ml, Sigma Type XI) for 90 minutes and action potentials (cCAPs) were recorded again. Numerical analysis of these records was performed and the results were compared. Using the nCAP and cCAP recordings, the conduction velocity distributions (CVD) of the individual nerve trunks were determined by a method that we have previously described. Statistical results indicated significant differences (p<0.05) between the nCAP and cCAP CVD data. From these findings it is concluded that, when used for teasing the nerve fibers, collagenase may affect the nerve trunk conduction parameters. Specifically, a significant amount of decrease has been observed in conduction velocities of myelinated fibers having diameters smaller than 8 μm.