Figure 1.

Blood Vessels Permeate the Bridge prior to SC Migration

(A) Graph shows the proportion of macrophages (Iba1⁺), fibroblasts (prolylhydroxylase⁺/ Iba1⁻), ECs (RECA-1⁺), and neutrophils (lipocallin-2⁺) within the bridge of transected rat sciatic nerves and in contralateral intact nerves (Uncut), Day 2, and Day 3 after transection (n = 4, graph shows mean value ± SEM).

(B) Rat sciatic nerve longitudinal sections immunostained for ECs (RECA-1⁺, red) and SCs (S100⁺, green), Day 2 and Day 3 after transection. Nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst (blue). Scale bar, 100 μm.

(C and D) Quantification of the vascularization of the bridge as shown in (B). (C) Graph shows the percentage of RECA-1 positive area at the indicated times (n = 6). (D) Graph shows the average number of blood vessels/mm² of bridge at the indicated times (n = 6). Graphs show mean value ± SEM.

(E) Longitudinal section of a mouse sciatic nerve immunostained for ECs (CD31⁺, red) and SCs (S100⁺, green), Day 5 after transection. Scale bar, 100 μm. For reconstruction of longitudinal sections shown in (B) and (E), multiple images from the same sample were acquired using the same microscope settings.

See also Figure S1.