title: Local substitution of GDF-15 improves axonal and sensory recovery after peripheral nerve injury.
abstract: The growth/differentiation factor-15, GDF-15, has been found to be secreted by Schwann cells in the lesioned peripheral nervous system. To investigate whether GDF-15 plays a role in peripheral nerve regeneration, we substituted exogenous GDF-15 into 10-mm sciatic nerve gaps in adult rats and compared functional and morphological regeneration to a vehicle control group. Over a period of 11 weeks, multiple functional assessments, including evaluation of pinch reflexes, the Static Sciatic Index and of electrophysiological parameters, were performed. Regenerated nerves were then morphometrically analyzed for the number and quality of regenerated myelinated axons. Substitution of GDF-15 significantly accelerated sensory recovery while the effects on motor recovery were less strong. Although the number of regenerated myelinated axons was significantly reduced after GDF-15 treatment, the regenerated axons displayed advanced maturation corroborating the results of the functional assessments. Our results suggest that GDF-15 is involved in the complex orchestration of peripheral nerve regeneration after lesion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroanatomy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Leonore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mensching
authors.forename: Ann-Kathrin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Börger
authors.forename: Xialong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Petar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Charalambous
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unsicker
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haastert-Talini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15