GAP43 axon innervation of three zones associated with dorsal skin wounds (black arrows) shown by the schematic to be from nearby normal skin (a,d), adjacent wound margins (b,e) and the wound zone healing by secondary intention (c,f).

<p>Images (a-c) are nondiabetic littermate controls and (d-f) from diabetic mice. Data are matched to the wound zone in the micrographs above them (g,j nearby normal skin; h,k adjacent wound margin; i,l wound zone). Graphs show vertically directed GAP 43 axon density (g-i) and total GAP43 axon density (j-l) in diabetics (open bars) and nondiabetics (black bars). [g *p<0.05; h p=0.06 (NS) diabetic vs. nondiabertic; k *p<0.05 diabetic vs. nondiabetic, one tailed Student’s t-test; n=3 diabetic, 3 nondiabetic]. Bar=20 microns.