Effect of buqi tongluo prescription on recovery of peripheral nerve conduction velocity of rats

Zhensong YAO; De LIANG; Zhenhui HE

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Buqi tongluo prescription, which is characterized by invigorating qi and promoting blood circulation, dredging collaterals and dispersing stagnation, promoting tissue regeneration, and promoting blood circulation to remove obstruction in the collateral, can promote blood circulation at local injured part and ameliorate nutrien of nerve so as to accelerate axonal regeneration of peripheral nerve and functional recovery of nerve conduction.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe the effect of buqi tongluo prescription of various agents on recovery of nerve function after peripheral nerve injury and compare the results with the combination of vitamin B1 and B6.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled animal study.

SETTING:

Department of Orthopaedics of the First Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.MATERIALS A total of 48 Wistar rats of confined clean grade were selected in this study. After modeling on right sciatic nerve, rats were randomly divided into buqi tongluo capsule group, buqi tongluo parenteral solution group, vitamin group and blank group with 12 in each group.

METHODS:

All rats were cut their right sciatic nerve laterally, and then anastomosis in situ was used immediately to establish models of peripheral nerve injury. Administration began on the third day after operation once a day. ① Rats in buqi tongluo capsule group were perfused with powder of buqi tongluo capsule (including huangqi, renshen, danggui, chuanxiong and danshen which was diluted with saline) of 0.9 g/(kg·d) raw drugs (ig). ② Rats in buqi tongluo parenteral solution group were injected with 0.9 g/(kg·d) buqi tongluo parenteral solution (ip). ③ Rats in vitamin group were perfused with 15 mg/(kg·d) suspension (1.5 g/L) of vitamin B1 and B6.④ Rats in blank group were perfused with 0.01 mL/g saline.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Four rats from each group were selected for 4, 8 and 12 week time points after administration to record bilateral nerve conduction velocity. Recovery rate was regarded as the ration between nerve conduction velocity at the injured side and nerve conduction velocity at the normal side.

RESULTS:

A total of 48 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① At each time point, nerve conduction velocity in two buqi tongluo prescription groups were faster than that in vitamin group and blank group (P ＜ 0.05, 0.01), and that in vitamin group was faster than that in blank group (P ＜ 0.05). ②At each time point, recovery rate of nerve conduction velocity in two buqi tongluo prescription groups was higher than that in vitamin group and blank group (P ＜ 0.05, 0.01), and that in vitamin group was higher than that in blank group (P ＜ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Both buqi tongluo capsule and buqi tongluo parenteral solution can promote recovery of nerve function after peripheral nerve injury, and the effect is superior to that of vitamin B1 and B6.