The Connection between Nerve Terminals and Amniotic Fluid and the Distribution of NOS Positive Nerve Terminals in the Skin of Mouse Embryo

Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to explore whether the skin has the connection with the amniotic fluid and the distribution and development of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) positive nerve terminals in the skin of mouse embryo. Fluorogold (FG) was injected into amniotic fluid in mice with 13?5 d pregnancy in vivo， observing whether they have FG in somatic nerves and dorsal root ganglion cells of fetal by light microscope， and the acral skin tissue of embryo day 11 (E11)， embryo day 13 (E13)， embryo day 15 (E15)， embryo day 17 (E17)， embryo day 19 (E19)， embryo day 21 (E21) mice embryos and postnatal day 1(P1) mouse were taken out， then the frozen sections of acral skin tissue of each group were stained with NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) enzymohistochemistry method to localize the expression of NOS. Our results showed that in the spinal nerves or other nerves of fetal， some FG positive round or irregular neural cells were observed. FG mainly in the cell body， with even and bright in the cytoplasm， and the boundary was clear. While the expression of NADPH-d positive nerve terminals began to appear in E11 embryos， mainly in the cuticular layer， and exposure to the amniotic fluid directly. The expression intensity were steadily increasing along with the development of the embryo， and became similar on E21 to that on P1. It is inferred that in the embryonic period， the amniotic fluid may be in touch with the skin of fetal， so the amniotic fluid may take part in the growth and development of nerve terminals of fetal. It need further discussion whether the substance in amniotic fluid have the effect of inducing growth on the development of peripheral nerve.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2007.02.0022