Ultraviolet radiation abolishes cutaneous nerve stainings with two axon-specific antibodies in guinea-pig skin.

Cutaneous nerve fibers in guinea-pig skin were histochemically stained with two specific antibodies against different axonal proteins, a newly available protein gene product 9.5 and neuron-specific enolase. A semi-quantitative analysis revealed that the density of nerve fibers positive for either antibody was reversibly decreased following a single exposure to medium wave length ultraviolet (UVB) radiation and psoralen plus long wave ultraviolet (UVA) radiation (PUVA). UVA radiation alone did not markedly affect nerve fiber staining. The UVB/PUVA-induced nerve changes were augmented and prolonged following multiple exposures to UVB and PUVA. Nerve fiber staining was not altered by topical application of corticosteroids. Our findings suggest that both UVB and PUVA can alter the cutaneous innervation density.