The fluid pathway inside the nerve fascicles was examined along with endoneurial vascular permeability using the tracer technique in the rabbit facial nerve. Fluorescent substances such as sodium fluorescein (M. W. 376) and fluorescein labeled dextran (M. W. 40, 000) were injected intravenously or into the nerve trunk, and then localized by fluorescence microscopy.
The tracers penetrated into endoneurium as well as epineurium and perineurium after intravenous injection and spread along the endoneurium following injection into the nerve fascicles. No penetration into nerve fibers was observed. Furthermore, in the endoneurium red connective tissue fibers characteristic of collagen fibers were stained red with van Gieson Staining.
In this study, it was suggested that the endoneurial connective tissues constitute an extravascular fluid pathway within the nerve fascicles and that endoneurial collagen fibers seem to play an important role.
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