周邊神經末梢受傷後，受傷神經的遠端殘肢(distal stump of injured nerve)部份會進行髓鞘及軸突內細胞骨架崩解的病理變化現象，此現象稱之為瓦勒氏退化(Wallerian degeneration) 。一般的囓齒類動物，此病理變化發生時程非常快速；此實驗中所使用的實驗動物具有緩慢退化特質(slow degeneration)的突變種老鼠─C57BL/Ola mice (Ola mice)。Ola mice突變的位置在第四對體染色體(autosome)遠端，稱之為wlds的對偶基因(allele)上。實驗中，我們分別用兩種不同的神經損傷模式─截斷(transection)及夾傷(crush)來引發老鼠的坐骨神經(sciatic nerve)進行瓦勒氏退化。手術後不同時間對老鼠的足墊 (footpad) 及足底肌肉 (plantar muscles) 以免疫細胞化學染色(immunocytochemistry)觀察以比較不同生理功能神經進行瓦勒氏退化與神經再生的時程。發現當老鼠的坐骨神經受到損傷後，進行瓦勒氏退化的速度在不同生理功能的神經並不相同；運動神經最快(神經受損後兩週)，感覺神經次之(神經受損後三週)，自主神經為最慢(神經受損後五週)。同時，遠端殘肢的末端部位(terminal end of distal stump of injured nerve)進行瓦勒氏退化的速度會比近端(proximal portion of distal stump of injured nerve)來的快。此外，因為Ola mice神經退化速度緩慢，所以也進而間接影響受傷神經的再生速度，使得神經再生的時程比一般的囓齒類動物所需時間上更長。綜合以上觀察，推知不同類型神經進行瓦勒氏退化與神經再生所可能包含的機制並不完全相同。

Wallerian degeneration is a common pathological phenomenon after peripheral nerve injury. Wallerian degeneration is an extremely slow process in the C57BL/Ola (Ola) mice, a substrain of C57BL, carrying a mutant allele, Wlds in chromosome 4. In this study, we transected and crushed sciatic nerves of Ola mice and compared Wallerian degeneration among motor, sensory and autonomic nerves. The speeds of degeneration were different among different types of nerves. Degeneration of motor nerve terminals inside neuromuscular junctions were the fastest, with all nerves disappearing within two weeks. By three weeks, all the epidermal nerves were degenerated. Sweat glands innervation disappeared within five weeks after nerve injury. The terminal portion of injured sciatic nerves were degenerated faster than the proximal portion of the injured nerves. The speeds of regeneration in Ola mice were slower than those in wild-type mice. These results raise the possibility that mechanisms of Wallerian degeneration could be different among different types of nerves.

Ⅰ 英文摘要........................................................1.
Ⅱ 中文摘要.........................................................2.
Ⅲ 引言.....................................................3.
Ⅳ 材料與方法..........................................6.
Ⅴ 結果.....................................................9.
Ⅵ 總結...................................................17.
Ⅶ 討論...................................................21.
Ⅷ 附錄...................................................27.
(i)圖表與說明...................................28.
(ii)參考資料......................................42.

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