RESUMO
Objective To evaluate the effect of progesterone (PROG) on promoting peripheral nerve collateral growth and nerve regeneration after terminolateral neurorrhaphy (TLN). Methods Thirty-six female SD rats were from nine to ten weeks old and weighed from 250 to 270 grams. They were randomly divided into two groups by different drugs they were administrated, the PROG group and the control group. Both groups were subdivide into three groups respectively, PROG four weeks group, PROG eight weeks group, PROG twelve weeks group, control four weeks group, control eight weeks group and control twelve weeks group. There were six subjects in every subgroups. First, both groups were performed ovariectomy. Then, two weeks later, TLN was operated. In the PROG group, the left peroneal nerve was transected, then an 1mm epineukral window was created on the neighbouring. The distal end of peroneal nerve was sutured to the windowed tibial nerve by means of end-to-side attachment. In the control group, nerve TLN was performed as in the PROG group, 0.2ml (10mg/ml) PROG and tea-oil (the solvent of PROG) was injected by subcutaneous injection for days in PROG group and control group respectively. Electrophysiological, histolgicial and morphological examinations were measured at 4,8, and 12 weeks after the operation. Results Regeneration of peroneal nerve occurred in both groups. All the data were analysed by factorial designed analysis of variance. The output demonstrated that there was a signficant difference in the quality of regeneration of peroneal between PROG group and control group (P