title: Etifoxine provides benefits in nerve repair with acellular nerve grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acellular nerve grafts are good candidates for nerve repair, but the clinical outcome of grafting is not always satisfactory. We investigated whether etifoxine could enhance nerve regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: (1) autograft; (2) acellular nerve graft; and (3) acellular nerve graft plus etifoxine. Histological and electrophysiological examinations were performed to evaluate the efficacy of nerve regeneration. Walking-track analysis was used to examine functional recovery. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate changes in mRNA level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Etifoxine: (i) increased expression of neurofilaments in regenerated axons; (ii) improved sciatic nerve regeneration measured by histological examination; (iii) increased nerve conduction velocity; (iv) improved walking behavior as measured by footprint analysis; and (v) boosted expression of neurotrophins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that etifoxine can enhance peripheral nerve regeneration across large nerve gaps repaired by acellular nerve grafts by increasing expression of neurotrophins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhaowei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Canbin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Jiakai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qingtang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010078:Oxazines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D010078:Oxazines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C051774:neurofilament protein H; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; C002125:etifoxine
keywords: TSPO; acellular nerve grafts; etifoxine; nerve regeneration; neurotrophins expression