Functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury in the transgenic Thy1‐GFP rat

Abstract

Transgenic mice have been previously used to assess nerve regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. However, mouse models are limited by their small caliber nerves, short nerve lengths, and their inability to fully participate during behavioral assessments. The transgenic Thy1 GFP rat is a novel transgenic rat model designed to assess regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. However, return of functional and behavioral recovery following nerve injury has not yet been evaluated in these rats. In this study, we ask whether differences in anatomy, recovery of locomotion, myological, and histomorphological measures exist between transgenic Thy1 GFP rats when compared to wild type (WT) Sprague Dawley rats following unilateral sciatic nerve injury. We found that both motor and sensory neuronal architecture, overground and skilled locomotion, muscle force, motor unit number estimation (MUNE) and wet muscle weights, and histomorphometric assessments are similar between both genetic phenotypes. Overall, these data support the use of the transgenic Thy1-GFP rat in experiments assessing functional and behavioral recovery following nerve injury and repair.

Peripheral nerve transfers change target muscle structure and function

“…In the retrograde labeling trial, 21 animals were allocated to quantify motor neurons via retrograde labeling of either the ulnar nerve ( n = 6) or the biceps’ lateral head without nerve transfer ( n = 6) or 12 weeks after the nerve transfer ( n = 9). In addition, in 15 Thy1-GFP rats [male, aged 8 to 10 weeks ( 27 , 28 )], the muscular reinnervation was visualized with ( n = 6) or without ( n = 9) nerve transfer surgery. In addition, target muscles were analyzed with epimysial multichannel EMG electrodes in nine animals 12 weeks after the nerve transfer surgery.…”

Nerve Cross-Bridging to Enhance Nerve Regeneration in a Rat Model of Delayed Nerve Repair

“…Of these, 26 rats were Thy- 1-GFP transgenic rats that were developed in our laboratory. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is expressed in neural cells under the Thy-1 promoter but is not expressed in muscle or connective tissue [ 22 – 24 ].…”

A novel GFP nude rat model to investigate tumor-stroma interactions

“…One of our major goals is to characterize these differences in terms of cell type and molecular profiles to aid in our understanding of the development of these tumor types. Transgenic Green fluorescent protein (GFP) rats, which are also available [ 17 - 21 ], are not immunodeficient and thus, are limited in their ability to generate xenograft tumors. As clinically relevant glioma models do develop in immunodeficient nude rats, in order to more effectively study tumor stroma in this model system, we wanted to develop a transgenic nude rat strain ubiquitously expressing GFP.…”