Open AccessTanshinone IIA attenuates nerve structural and functional damage induced by nerve crush injury in rats
Author(s) -
Zhiyong Wang,
Xiaomei Yang,
Weiguang Zhang,
Peixun Zhang,
Baoguo Jiang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0202532
Subject(s) - sciatic nerve , crush injury , medicine , axon , regeneration (biology) , sciatic nerve injury , nerve injury , epineurial repair , peripheral nerve injury , spinal cord injury , lumbar plexus , spinal nerve , anesthesia , lumbar , anatomy , spinal cord , surgery , biology , dorsum , psychiatry , microbiology and biotechnology
After peripheral nerve crush injury, the fibers of distal nerve segments gradually disintegrate, and axons regrow from the proximal nerve segment, eventually reaching the target organ. However, the axon regeneration is generally not sufficient for the recovery of neurological function, so drug therapy is necessary. In the current study, we explored the effect of Tanshinone IIA in nerve regeneration in a sciatic nerve crush injury model using Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were administered 45 mg/kg of Tanshinone IIA once daily. Motor behavior and tibialis anterior muscle mass were assessed, and histological analysis of the sciatic nerve and lumbar spinal cord were conducted. The results showed that the administration of Tanshinone IIA improved nerve growth and motor function, and resulted in a marked decrease of neuronal death. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that Tanshinone IIA alleviates injury and boosts regeneration after nerve crush injury in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury.