摘要：We examined the nerve conduction velocity (NCVs) of the caudal nerve of rats and investigated how it was affected by age, tail length, body weight and the temperature of paraffin into which the tail was dipped. The conduction velocity measurements were carried out without anesthesia. 1) In comparison with the control group (37.5±0.5°C), the motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) of the caudal nerve of rats in the low temperature group (32±0.5°C) decreased by 0.83m/s/°C, mixed nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) decreased by 0.95m/s/°C and distal latency (DL) was prolonged by 0.05msec/°C. In the high temperature group (42±0.5°C), MCV increased by 0.72m/s/°C, MNCV increased by 0.88m/s/°C, and DL decreased by 0.04msec/°C. 2) The temperature coefficients (Q10) of the NCV of the caudal nerve of rats were 1.2 for MCV, 1.2 for MNCV and 1.2 for DL at temperatures ranging from 32 to 42°C. 3) The NCV of the caudal nerve of rats increases with growth up to about 24 weeks of age, when it reaches a plateau. Therefore, the growth-dependent increase in NCV should be taken into consideration when conducting long-term physiological study. 4) The NCVs of the caudal nerve of rats (MCV, MNCV) of the same age, but of different body weight or tail length, are comparable when the difference of body weight is about 30% lower than that of the control.
