Role of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in rat peripheral nerve regeneration.
The cytokine leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) favours the survival and growth of axons in vitro. The efficacy of this factor in the in vivo model has been the aim of this study. Following nerve transection and immediate entubulation repair in the rat sciatic nerve, this study demonstrated that (1) LIF promotes the growth of a population of axons of greater cross-sectional area after 6 and 12 weeks in comparison to either saline (negative control) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (positive control), (2) LIF improves the nerve conduction velocity of regenerating axons, (3) LIF has a positive effect on skeletal muscle mass following nerve repair, (4) the benefits of LIF on skeletal muscle appear to be somewhat independent of reinnervation as similar observations are made where there is no growth of a tissue bridge within the tube, and (5) the effects of LIF seem to be potentiated by the addition of fibronectin.
Donato
R
R
Department of Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Fitzroy, Vic, Australia.
Cheema
S
S
Finkelstein
D
D
Bartlett
P
P
Morrison
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery
D005353:Fibronectins; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2