ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nerve growth factor (NGF) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) can promote the repair of peripheral nerve. However, increasing the expression of NGF and MAG in the injured peripheral nerve by transgene technology has not been reported.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of NGF and MAG after adenovirus (Ad) mediated transfection in the injured sciatic nerve in rats.METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, Ad, NGF and NGF-MAG groups. Sciatic nerve injury models were established in the latter four groups by cutting and suturing the right sciatic nerve. Afterwards, the rats in each group were subject to the intramuscular injection of normal saline, normal saline, Ad (1×108 PFU), Ad-NGF (1×108 PFU), and Ad-NGF-MAG (1×108 PFU), respectively, once every 2 days, for consecutive three times.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expression level of NGF in the rat sciatic nerve in the Ad and normal groups was significantly higher than that in the NGF and NGF-MAG groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the Ad, NGF and normal groups, the expression level of MAG in the NGF-MAG group was significantly increased (P < 0.05). To conclude, the Ad-mediated NGF and MAG after double gene transfection were expressed effectively in the injured sciatic nerve in rats.