Fig. 7

Retrograde tracing of neuronal reinnervation following sciatic nerve injury. a–e Representative images showing the FB retrograde tracer signal combined with ChAT staining in the ventral horns from the contralateral side a and from the injured side b–e of lumbar spinal cord, 8 weeks after axotomy and coaptation. Asterisks indicate FB-negative motoneurons. f Quantification of the ratio of FB-positive motoneurons (injured/contralateral side), 8 weeks after sciatic nerve axotomy + coaptation. N = 5 animals/group. **p < 0.01 (ANOVA with Fisher’s LSD post hoc, compared to coapt. + vehicle). g Quantification of the ratio of ChAT-positive motoneurons 8 weeks after sciatic nerve axotomy + coaptation. N = 5 animals/group. n.s. non-significant (ANOVA with Fisher’s LSD post hoc, compared to coapt. + vehicle). Coapt.: axotomy + coaptation. Mean values are presented on all bars. Bars represent average ± SEM