Anastomosis of a nerve with cyanoacrylate following a lesion has previously been shown to indicate morphological and functional recovery to an extent comparable to that of conventional epineural sutures. In this study we examined the local tissue reactions after transection and repair of rat sciatic nerve, and compared sutures with a synthetic ethyl-cyanoacrylate adhesive. Many ED-1-immunoreactive macrophages were found accumulating on either side of the repair site whereas neurofilament labelling was less pronounced distal to the repair site seven days after reparation with cyanoacrylate compared with sutures. After six months, when reinnervation was completed, the difference in ED-1-immunoreactivity was still present but to a less extent. These results indicate that ethyl-cyanoacrylate seems to induce an increased inflammatory reaction, which may lead to accelerated Wallerian degeneration, and could therefore have benefits over conventional sutures for reconstruction of peripheral nerves.