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Effect of herbal extracts on peripheral nerve regeneration after microsurgery of the sciatic nerve in rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent experimental studies using herbal extracts have shown the possibility of peripheral nerve regeneration. This study aimed to investigate the effects of herbal extracts on peripheral nerve regeneration in a rat sciatic nerve injury model.

Methods

A total of 53 rats were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups. In all rats, the sciatic nerve was completely severed and microscopic epineural end-to-end neurorrhaphy was performed. Normal saline (2 mL) was topically applied to the site of nerve repair in the control group, whereas four different herbal extracts - 2 mL each of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Coptis japonica (Thunb.) Makino, Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux, or Paeonia lactiflora Pall. - were topically applied to the site of nerve repair in each experimental group. Nerve conduction studies were performed at an average of 11.9 weeks after the operation, and conduction velocity and proximal and distal amplitudes were measured. Biopsies were performed at an average of 13.2 weeks after the initial neurorrhaphy. The quality of nerve anastomosis and perineural adhesion to the surrounding soft tissues was macroscopically evaluated. The neuroma size at the site of the neurorrhaphy was microscopically measured, whereas the size of the scar tissue was evaluated relative to the diameter of the repaired nerve.

Results

The nerve conduction study results showed the highest nerve conduction velocity in the experimental group that used the Coptis japonica (Thunb.) Makino extract and the highest proximal and distal amplitudes in the experimental group that used the Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux extract. Macroscopic evaluations after the second operation showed that grade 2 perineural adhesion was found in 70.8% of rats. The mean neuroma size in the Coptis japonica (Thunb.) Makino, Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux, and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. groups showed statistically significant decreases relative to the control group. The mean scar tissue formation index in the Paeonia lactiflora Pall. group showed a statistically significant decrease relative to the control group.

Conclusions

The peripheral nerve regeneration effect of the herbal extracts was confirmed through decreased neuroma and scar tissue formation.

SUBMITTER: Kim YJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8178854 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Repetitive magnetic stimulation is effective for treating posttraumatic neuropathies following spinal or axonal injury. Neurotropin is a potential treatment for nerve injuries like demyelinating diseases. This study sought to observe the effects of high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation, neurotropin and their combined use in the treatment of peripheral nerve injury in 32 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. To create a sciatic nerve injury model, a 10 mm-nerve segment of the left sciatic nerve was cut and rotated through 180° and each end restored continuously with interrupted sutures. The rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control group received only a reversed autograft in the left sciatic nerve with no treatment. In the high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation group, peripheral high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation treatment (20 Hz, 20 min/d) was delivered for 10 consecutive days after auto-grafting. In the neurotropin group, neurotropin therapy (0.96 NU/kg per day) was administrated for 10 consecutive days after surgery. In the combined group, the combination of peripheral high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation (20 Hz, 20 min/d) and neurotropin (0.96 NU/kg per day) was given for 10 consecutive days after the operation. The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale was used to assess the behavioral recovery of the injured nerve. The sciatic functional index was used to evaluate the recovery of motor functions. Toluidine blue staining was performed to determine the number of myelinated fibers in the distal and proximal grafts. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the length of axons marked by neurofilament 200. Our results reveal that the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores, sciatic functional index, the number of myelinated fibers in distal and proximal grafts were higher and axon lengths were longer in the high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation, neurotropin and combined groups compared with the control group. These measures were not significantly different among the high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation, neurotropin and combined groups. Therefore, our results suggest that peripheral high-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation or neurotropin can promote the repair of injured sciatic nerves, but their combined use seems to offer no significant advantage. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China on December 23, 2014 (approval No. 2014keyan002-01).