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. 2019 Jan 9;14(1):e0210211. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210211

Fig 5. Ultrastructural characteristics (TEM) Eight weeks after nerve injury.

Fig 5

Exposed. Exposed Nerve—Normal characteristics were observed with the presence of large caliber myelin fibers (m) and the axoplasm (a) region containing mitochondria (mag: X2,000). Exposed'. At higher magnification, unmyelinated fibers (u) interspersed with myelinated fibers with mitochondria (short arrow) in the axoplasm region are noted (mag: X10,000). Injury. Injured Nerve—In this period of analysis, small clusters of myelin fibers (m) surrounded by laminar cytoplasmic structures (arrow head) were still observed in this group (mag: X2,000). Injury'. In detail, a cluster of myelin fibers surrounded by cytoplasmic laminae (arrow head) and close to Schwann cells (arrow) (mag: X7,500). LLLT. Injured Nerve with LLLT—Similar characteristics to group I, small clusters of myelin fibers (m) and clusters of unmyelinated fibers (u) were noted (mag: X3,000). LLLT'. At higher magnification, the presence of Schwann cells (arrow) with bulky nuclei containing many mitochondria (short arrow) was observed. Schwan cell cytoplasm involving myelin fiber also revealed mitochondria (short arrow) (mag: X12,000). F1 Protein. Injured Nerve with F1—Higher densities of myelin (m) and unmyelinated fibers (u) were observed, which were no longer seen to be organized into clusters (mag: X2,000). F1 Protein'. In detail, unmyelinated fibers (u) surrounded by cytoplasm of Schwann cells were observed, as well as the presence of Schwann cells with bulky nuclei (arrow) (mag: X10,000). LLLT & F1 Protein. Injured Nerve with LLLT and F1—Characteristics were similar to F1 group, with a dense presence of myelin (m) and unmyelinated fibers (u) and Schwann cells (arrow), without the appearance of clusters (mag: X12,000). LLLT & F1 Protein'. At higher magnification, lamellae of the myelin sheath (curved arrow) surrounded by the Schwann cell cytoplasm and endoneurial collagen fibers (**) were observed. (mag: X50,000).