Open AccessThe Effects of Potential Neuroprotective Agents on Rat Facial Function Recovery Following Facial Nerve Injury
Author(s) -
Vakharia Kalpesh T.,
Lindsay Robin W.,
Knox Christopher,
Edwards Colin,
Henstrom Doug,
Weinberg Julie,
Hadlock Tessa A.,
Heaton James T.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599810390892
Subject(s) - whisking in animals , medicine , facial nerve , axotomy , anesthesia , crush injury , surgery , somatosensory system , psychiatry , central nervous system
Objective To evaluate whether a series of pharmacologic agents with potential neuroprotective effects accelerate and/or improve facial function recovery after facial nerve crush injury. Study Design Randomized animal study. Setting Tertiary care facility. Methods Eighty female Wistar‐Hannover rats underwent head restraint implantation and daily conditioning. Animals then underwent unilateral crush injury to the main trunk of the facial nerve and were randomized to receive treatment with atorvastatin (n = 10), sildenafil (n = 10), darbepoetin (n = 20), or a corresponding control agent (n = 40). The return of whisking function was tracked throughout the recovery period. Results All rats initiated the return of whisking function from nerve crush by day 12. Darbepoetin‐treated rats (n = 20) showed significantly improved whisking amplitude and velocity across the recovery period, with several days of significant pairwise differences vs comparable control rats (n = 16) across the first 2 weeks of whisking function return. In contrast, rats treated with sildenafil (n = 10) and atorvastatin (n = 10) did not show significant improvement in whisking function recovery after facial nerve crush compared to controls. By week 8, all darbepoetin‐treated animals and comparable nerve crush control animals fully recovered whisking function and were statistically indistinguishable. Conclusion Among the 3 potentially neuroprotective agents evaluated, only darbepoetin administration resulted in accelerated recovery of whisking parameters after facial nerve crush injury. Further efforts to define the mechanism of action and translate these findings to the use of darbepoetin in the care of patients with traumatic facial paralysis are needed.