ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been obtained by the animal experimental and clinical researches that electroacupuncture promotes the regeneration of peripheral nerve, but its mechanism is still unknown. Neurotrophic factor (NF) maintains the survival of neurons in injured nerve and promotes the axonal regeneration. The observation of the changes of nerve growth factor (NGF) before and after electroacupuncture stimulation probably provides a new approach on revealing peripheral nerve disorder.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on NGF in regeneration microenvironment after facial nerve injury.DESIGN: Complete randomized-division and controlled animal experiment.SETTING: Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion of West China Hospital affiliated to Sichuan University.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Animal Experiment Center of West China Hospital affiliated to Sichuan University from September to December 2001, in which, 50 New Zealand healthy adult rabbits were employed and randomized into 2 groups, named experiment group and the control, 25 rabbits in each one.METHODS:① After intravenous anesthesia on experimental animal,the upper buccal branch of facial nerve was separated and exposed. Under surgical magnifying glass, the nerve was cut off and a silica-gel tube was used to be inlayed in two broken ends and fixed with stitching, by which, a regeneration chamber is formed. In experiment group, on the day when the rabbit was completely resuscitated from anesthesia in the operation, electroacupuncture was applied. Points: Yifeng (TE 17), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and Hegu (LI 4). Method of treatment: perpendicular puncture was applied on Yifeng (TE 17), 1 cm deep; penetrating puncture was from Dicang (ST 4) to Jiache (ST 6), 1.5 cm deep; and on Hegu (LI 4), 0.5 cm deep. The electrodes was attached on Yifeng (TE 17) and Dicang (ST 4) respectively, with dense-disperse wave, at 18-20 Hz, 1.5 V. The needles were retained for 30 minutes and the treatment was given once a day, totally for 14 days.In the control,no any management was applied.② On the 3rd, 5th 7th, 10th and 14th days after surgery, 10 animals were sacrificed, 5 rabbits in each of experiment group and the control. The fluid was collected from the regeneration chamber and double antibodies sandwiched enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine NGF level in regeneration chamber. ③ t test was adopted for the difference comparison of measurement data.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of NGF level in regenerated chamber on the 3rd, 5th, 7th 10th and 14th days after surgery RESULTS: Fifty rabbits were all in result analysis. From the 3rd day to 7th day after surgery, NGF level in regeneration chamber was not different remarkably between experiment group and the control (P ＞ 0.05). On the 10th and 14th days, NGF level in regeneration chamber in experiment group was higher remarkably than that in the control [On the 10th day after surgery: (2 793.0±163.1), (2571.1±91.6) ng/L; on the 14th day after surgery: (2 696.1±147.5), (2 243.7±271.2) ng/L, t=4.45, 3.44, P ＜ 0.01].On the 7th day after surgery, NGF levels in regeneration chamber in both experiment group and the control were up to the peak. But, since the 14th day after surgery, NGF level in the control began declining, that in experiment group was still kept at a relatively high level.CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture improves and maintains the stable high level of NGF in regeneration microenvironment after facial nerve injury, which is probably one of the mechanisms of electroacupuncture on promoting the regeneration of peripheral nerve.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To study the role of ciliary neurotrophic factor(CNTF) in the generation of facial nerve.METHODS Twenty adult New Zealand rabbits' bilateral super buccals of facial nerves were transected and connected with silicone tube.CNTF was injected into a random side of silicone tube and normal saline in the other.At four and eight weeks after the operation, both the CNTF group and the SAL group underwent electrophysiology test and histopathology as well as quantity analysis.RESULTS Four weeks later, both CNTF and SAL group failed in eliciting muscular excitement upon stimulation; T-test showed a signifi-cant difference(P