Sciatic nerve regeneration in rats subjected to ketogenic diet.
OBJECTIVE
Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat-content diet with insufficiency of carbohydrates that induces ketogenesis. Besides its anticonvulsant properties, many studies have shown its neuroprotective effect in central nervous system, but its influence on peripheral nervous system has not been studied yet. We examined the influence of KD on regeneration of peripheral nerves in adult rats.


METHODS
Fifty one rats were divided into three experimental (n = 15) and one control (n = 6) groups. Right sciatic nerve was crushed and animals were kept on standard (ST group) or ketogenic diet, the latter was introduced 3 weeks before (KDB group) or on the day of surgery (KDA group). Functional (CatWalk) tests were performed once a week, and morphometric (fiber density, axon diameter, and myelin thickness) analysis of the nerves was made after 6 weeks. Body weight and blood ketone bodies level were estimated at the beginning and the end of experiment.


RESULTS
Functional analysis showed no differences between groups. Morphometric evaluation showed most similarities to the healthy (uncrushed) nerves in KDB group. Nerves in ST group differed mostly from all other groups. Ketone bodies were elevated in both KD groups, while post-surgery animals' body weight was lower as compared to ST group.


CONCLUSIONS
Regeneration of sciatic nerves was improved in KD - preconditioned rats. These results suggest a neuroprotective effect of KD on peripheral nerves.
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Arkadiusz
A
Liśkiewicz
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Adam
A
Właszczuk
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Daria
D
Gendosz
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Magdalena
M
Larysz-Brysz
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Bartosz
B
Kapustka
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Mariusz
M
Łączyński
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Joanna
J
Lewin-Kowalik
a Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katowice , Department of Physiology , Poland.
Halina
H
Jędrzejowska-Szypułka
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D000071576:Crush Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000097:blood; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D000066829:Neuroprotection; D009752:Nutritional Status; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011044:Poland; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
D007657:Ketone Bodies
Gait analysis; Ketogenic diet; Nerve regeneration; Neuroprotection; Peripheral nerve morphometry; Rat sciatic nerve