IMR Press / FBL / Volume 17 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.2741/3993

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
Deer antler innervation and regeneration
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1 Molecular Neuroprotection Group, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca la Peraleda s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
2 Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
3 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), C/ Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
4 Neural Plasticity Group, Instituto Cajal de Neurobiologia (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2012, 17(4), 1389–1401; https://doi.org/10.2741/3993
Published: 1 January 2012
Abstract

Nervous system injuries are a major cause of impairment in the human society. Up to now, clinical approaches have failed to adequately restore function following nervous system damage. The regenerative cycle of deer antlers may provide basic information on mechanisms underlying nervous system regeneration. The present contribution reviews the actual knowledge on the antler innervation and the factors responsible for its regeneration and fast growth. Growing antlers are profusely innervated by sensory fibers from the trigeminal nerve, which regenerate every year reaching elongation rates up to 2 cm a day. Antler nerves grow through the velvet in close association to blood vessels. This environment is rich in growth promoting molecules capable of inducing and guiding neurite outgrowth of rat sensory neurons in vitro. Conversely, endocrine regulation failed to show effects on neurite outgrowth in vitro, in spite of including hormones of known promoting effects on axon growth. Additional studies are needed to analyze unexplored factors promoting on growth in antlers such as electric potentials or mechanical stretch, as well as on the survival of antler innervating neurons.

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