Abstract: Aim To investigate the protective effect of bra venom on spinal neurons after sciatic nerve nerve growth factor (NGF) from the Chinese co- lesion. Methods Fourty Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups each containing 20 animals. After surgical crush lesion on the bilateral sciatic nerve the rats were injected NGF into the target muscle every day. On the d 5 and d 10 after operation, enzyme histochemistry technique was used to show acetycholinesterase (AchE) activity of the motoneurons in L₅ ~ S₂ spinal cord anterior horn and fluoride resistant acid phophatase (FRAP) activity of substantia gelatinosa in L₅ ~ S₂ spinal cord posterior horn. The activity of enzyme was analysed with computer image analysis system. Results Compared with the control group, the activity of FRAP in NGF group was higher on the d 5 and d 10 after operation and the activity of AchE in NGF group was higher on the d 10 after operation. Conclusion It is demonstrated that NGF could protect the mononeurons in spinal cord anterior horn and the sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia after axotomy.

Key words: nerve growth factor, sciatic nerve, image analysis