title: Valproic acid enhances axonal regeneration and recovery of motor function after sciatic nerve axotomy in adult rats.
abstract: It has recently been demonstrated that valproic acid (VPA) robustly promotes neurite outgrowth, activates the extracellular signal regulated kinase pathway, and increases growth cone-associated protein 43 and bcl-2 levels in cultured human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. We hypothesized that VPA could also enhance peripheral nerve regeneration in adult animals. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of VPA (300 mg/kg daily for 16 weeks) on sciatic axonal regeneration following single or conditional axotomies in rats. The results showed that in VPA-treated rats there was a significant increase in the total numbers of regenerated myelinated nerve fibers and reinnervated muscle fibers in comparison with those rats not treated with VPA. As measured by sciatic function index and toe spread index, the motor function of the reinnervated hind limbs of rats receiving single axotomy without VPA treatment significantly improved at week 8 and reached plateau levels at about week 11, whereas the motor function of the reinnervated hind limbs of rats receiving single axotomy plus VPA and rats receiving conditional axotomy with or without VPA treatment significantly improved at week 4 and reached plateau levels at about week 8; there was no significant difference of the motor function among the three later groups. The results demonstrated that VPA is able to enhance sciatic nerve regeneration and recovery of motor function in adult rats, suggesting the potential clinical application of VPA for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury in humans.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatry Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan, 103 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E4.
authors.forename: Shu-Sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Christine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Rudy C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Ou
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xin-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D019771:Axotomy; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid