A quantitative study of subsurface cisterns and their relationships in normal and axotomized hypoglossal neurones.

A quantitative ultrastructural survey was made of subsurface cisterns and their association with overlying structures in the left hypoglossal nucleus of normal rats, and rats which had received left hypoglossal axotomies 7-84 days previously. Subsurface cisterns in normal rats occurred in some hypoglossal neurones, and, sporadically, in proximal dendrites. They were mostly subsynaptic, and often associated with Nissl substance; From 7-14 days postoperatively, when many somatic boutons temporarily lost contact with the perikaryal surface, and were replaced by a microglial sheath, the percentage of perikaryon with underlying cistern was significantly reduced. The Nissl substance was also dispersed at this stage, and not restored until 28 days postoperatively. At 21 days normal percentages of subsurface cistern were restored, but the cisterns were now mostly subastrocytic, an astrocytic sheath having replaced the microglial sheath. From 63 days onwards the cisterns were mostly subsynaptic again as boutons returned to the regenerating perikarya and the temporary astrocytic sheath disappeared. It is suggested that subsurface cisterns might alter the overlying perikaryal surface in some way during neuronal regeneration, causing certain boutons to adhere there.