简介：Objective:Toinvestigatetheexpressionandpatternofvascularendothelialgrowthfactor(VEGF)anditsfetalliverkinase-1(Flk-1)receptorinspinalcordanddorsalrootgangliaafterneurotomyofsciaticnerveinrats.Methods:Forty-fiveadultmaleWistarratsweredividedrandomlyintoacontrolgroup(n=5)andanexperimentalgroup(n=40).ThebilateralsciaticnervesoftheratsintheexperimentalgroupunderwentneurotomyandtheL4-L6spinalcordandthecorrespondingdorsalrootgangliawereharvestedrespectivelyat8hours,and1,3,5,7,10,14and21days(8subgroupswith5ratseach)afteroperation.Theratsinthecontrolgrouponlyunderwentanexposureofsciaticnervewithoutneurotomy.ImmunohistochemistryandimageanalysiswereusedtostudytheexpressionofVEGFanditsFlk-1receptor.Results:BothVEGFandFlk-1receptorexpressedinthenormalratspinalcordanddorsalrootganglia.Inresponsetoneurotomy,theirexpressionreachedahigherlevelandpersistedforashorttimethendeclinedtothenormallevelrapidly.Besides,positivestainingofFlk-1wasobservedinbothglialcellsandnervefibers,whichlocatedinthewhitematterofthespinalcord.Conclusions:VEGFcanpromotetheregenerationofperipheralnervesfromtheangleofcentralneurons,whichestablishestheexperimentalandtheoreticalfoundationforVEGFtreatingperipheralnerveinjuries.