title: Rapamycin promotes Schwann cell migration and nerve growth factor secretion.
abstract: Rapamycin, similar to FK506, can promote neural regeneration in vitro. We assumed that the mechanisms of action of rapamycin and FK506 in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration were similar. This study compared the effects of different concentrations of rapamycin and FK506 on Schwann cells and investigated effects and mechanisms of rapamycin on improving peripheral nerve regeneration. Results demonstrated that the lowest rapamycin concentration (1.53 nmol/L) more significantly promoted Schwann cell migration than the highest FK506 concentration (100μmol/L). Rapamycin promoted the secretion of nerve growth factors and upregulated growth-associated protein 43 expression in Schwann cells, but did not significantly affect Schwann cell proliferation. Therefore, rapamycin has potential application in peripheral nerve regeneration therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Yueyang, Yueyang, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Yueyang, Yueyang, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Haiwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Yueyang, Yueyang, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Kaiming
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and Biomedical Materials and Engineering Center, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and Biomedical Materials and Engineering Center, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Shipu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, and Biomedical Materials and Engineering Center, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yixia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
keywords: FK506; NSFC grant; Schwann cell; cell migration; growth-associated protein 43; nerve growth factor; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; peripheral nerve injury; rapamycin