Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2018, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (9): 1650-1656.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.237139

Previous Articles     Next Articles

 Saikosaponin a increases interleukin-10 expression and inhibits scar formation after sciatic nerve injury

 Meng-Qiang Huang1, 2, Xiao-Yu Cao3, Xu-Yi Chen4, Ying-Fu Liu5, Shuang-Long Zhu1, 2, Zhong-Lei Sun6, Xian-Bin Kong7, Jing-Rui Huo5, Sai Zhang4, Yun-Qiang Xu1, 2   

  1. 1 Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
    2 Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tinajin, China
    3 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
    4 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Repair, Institute of Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuroscience, Center for Neurology and Neurosurgery of Affiliated Hospital, Logistics University of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, Tianjin, China
    5 Science and Technology Experiment Center, Cangzhou Medical College, Cangzhou, Hebei Province, China
    6 Graduate School, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
    7 Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
  • Received:2018-05-22 Online:2018-09-15 Published:2018-09-15
  • Contact: Yun-Qiang Xu, M.D., Ph.D. or Sai Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.,docxu@sina.com or zhangsai718@vip.126.com
  • Supported by:

    This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 11672332, 11102235, 8167050417; the National Key Research and Development Plan of China, No. 2016YFC1101500; the Key Science and Technology Support Foundation of Tianjin City of China, No. 17YFZCSY00620; the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin City of China, No. 15JCYBJC28600, 17JCZDJC35400.

PDF

182

Abstract:

Nerve scarring after peripheral nerve injury can severely hamper nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Further, the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, can inhibit nerve scar formation. Saikosaponin a (SSa) is a monomer molecule extracted from the Chinese medicine, Bupleurum. SSa can exert anti-inflammatory effects in spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. However, it has not been shown whether SSa can play a role in peripheral nerve injury. In this study, rats were randomly assigned to three groups. In the sham group, the left sciatic nerve was directly sutured after exposure. In the sciatic nerve injury (SNI) + SSa and SNI groups, the left sciatic nerve was sutured and continuously injected daily with SSa (10 mg/kg) or an equivalent volume of saline for 7 days. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay results demonstrated that at 7 days after injury, interleukin-10 level was considerably higher in the SNI + SSa group than in the SNI group. Masson staining and western blot assay demonstrated that at 8 weeks after injury, type I and III collagen content was lower and nerve scar formation was visibly less in the SNI + SSa group compared with the SNI group. Simultaneously, sciatic functional index and nerve conduction velocity were improved in the SNI + SSa group compared with the SNI group. These results confirm that SSa can increase the expression of the anti-inflammatory factor, interleukin-10, and reduce nerve scar formation to promote functional recovery of injured sciatic nerve.

Key words: nerve regeneration, saikosaponin a, anti-inflammatory factor, inflammation, interleukin-10, nerve scar, peripheral nerve injury, sciatic nerve injury, sciatic functional index, nerve conduction velocity, neuroelectrophysiological function, neural regeneration