Abstract

Introduction

Materials & Methods

Results

Discussion & Conclusion

References

Discussion
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Experiment 1

 - 40 adult (3-4 ½ months) male Long-Evans rats were placed into one of the 
   4 following groups:
           1) Corpus Callosum Transections + Limb-Restricting Cast
            (CX + Cast; Fig. 1)       
           2) Corpus Callosum Transections + Control Cast
            (CX + Control Cast; Fig. 2)   
           3) Sham + Limb-Restricting Cast (Sham + Cast)
           4) Sham + Control Cast 
 - Corpus Callosum Transections (CX)of the rostral 2/3rd’s of the corpus callosum 
   (Fig. 3)were performed using a moving insulated platinum electrode with 
   exposed tip (0.5 mA for 15s).
 - Immediately following surgery, animals were placed into fiberglass casts.
 - After 18 day survival, animals were perfused and brains were impregnated 
   with Golgi-Cox.
 - Brains were resin embedded and Layer V basilar dendrites (Fig. 4)of the 
   forelimb sensory motor cortex (FLsmc) were analyzed in the hemisphere 
   opposite the side of approach of the lesion and opposite the side of the 
   forced-use limb.

- Adult Long-Evans rats were divided into four groups:
   1) lesion rats trained on the acrobatic task (Lesion-AC; Fig. 7)
   2) lesion rats given simple exercise as a motor control
      condition (Lesion-MC; Fig. 8)
   3) sham-operated rats trained on the acrobatic task (Sham-AC)
   4) sham operated motor control rats (Sham-MC)
- The lesion groups were anesthetized and given an electrolytic
  lesion of the forelimb representation area of the sensorimotor
  cortex (FLsmc, Fig. 9). 
- Training on the acrobatic task began on the second day after the
  lesion and continued until day 28.  
- Following perfusion, the cerebelli were resin-embedded and
  processed for light and electron microscopy.  
- For light microscopy, a series of semi-thin sections of 1 µm, 
  separated by 4 µm gaps, were Nissl stained (Fig. 12). Sections
  were analyzed for Purkinje cell body volume and for density of 
  Purkinje cells, using the physical disector method(see Results).
- Electron micrographs were taken of sequential 70 nm sections in
  the outer 1/3 of the cerebellar molecular layer. Micrographs were
  analyzed for synaptic density (Fig. 11)using the physical disector 
  method.

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