Fish oil supplementation improves histological changes after sciatic nerve injury in rats

Peripheral nerve injury often leads to neuropathic pain. The potential effect of dietary supplementation with fish oil [Omega-3] fatty acids on the injured sciatic nerve was studied in albino rats. 25 adult male albino rats weighing 200g were divided into three groups. Group I consisted of five rats were fed a non purified diet supplemented with olive oil for six weeks, they were used as control group. Group II consisted of ten rats were undergone sciatic nerve crush injury and fed a non purified diet supplemented with olive oil for six weeks, they were used as the injured comparative group. Group III consisted of ten rats were undergone sciatic nerve crush injury and were fed a non purified diet supplemented with [Omega-3] fatty acid enriched fish oil concentrate at a dose of 0.5 g/kg/day for six weeks. Histological study showed partially intact neurolemmal sheath, absence of endoneural oedema and signs of regeneration in group three in contrast with group two in which there were apparent signs of degeneration. This beneficial effect of fish oil on injured sciatic nerve with attenuated histological damage suggested a treatment role for patients suffering from neuropathic pain

Experimental and microscopical study on neurotoxic effect of intrathecal magnesium sulphate on anterior horn cells of rats spinal cord in comparison to lidocaine

The recently increased interest in the neurological effects of magnesium deficiency and a renewed concern with spinal lidocaine prompted us to examine the histopathological changes after intrathecal injection of magnesium sulphate and lidocaine on anterior horn cells of albino rats. We performed our study on 40 adult albino rats divided into four groups, 10 rats each. The first group [control group] was injected intrathecally [IT] with ImL of sodium chloride solution 0.9%. The second group was injected IT with ImL lidocain 2%. While animals in third and fourth groups were injected IT with ImL magnesium sulphate of 6.3% and 12.6% respectively After one hour of injection the animals were sacrificed and their spinal cord were examined histologically using different stains. Our results showed minimal cellular shrinkage of anterior horns cells of spinal cord with mild chromatolytic changes after IT injection of either lidocaine 2% [second group] or IT injection of magnesium sulphate 6.3% [third group]. While spinal cord specimens after IT magnesium sulphate 12.6% showed more morphological changes of anterior horn cells and increased nerve fibres fragments. Nissl granules contents became less in number in nerve fibers only in fourth group. As regards DNA and RNA contents of anterior horn cells no changes were detected in the four groups. Our results revealed lack of neurotoxic effects of both IT lidocaine 2% and IT magnesium sulphate especially in low concentrations and this promote more experimental studies in larger animals species before initial clinical trials of IT magnesium sulphate in humans