title: Nerve growth factor reduces apoptotic cell death in rat facial motor neurons after facial nerve injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on motor neurons after induction of a facial nerve lesion, and to compare the effects of different routes of NGF injection on motor neuron survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out in the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, China Medical University, Liaoning, China from October 2012 to March 2013. Male Wistar rats (n = 65) were randomly assigned into 4 groups: A) healthy controls; B) facial nerve lesion model + normal saline injection; C) facial nerve lesion model + NGF injection through the stylomastoid foramen; D) facial nerve lesion model + intraperitoneal injection of NGF. Apoptotic cell death was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. Expression of caspase-3 and p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) was determined by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Injection of NGF significantly reduced cell apoptosis, and also greatly decreased caspase-3 and PUMA expression in injured motor neurons. Group C exhibited better efficacy for preventing cellular apoptosis and decreasing caspase-3 and PUMA expression compared with group D (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that injections of NGF may prevent apoptosis of motor neurons by decreasing caspase-3 and PUMA expression after facial nerve injury in rats. The NGF injected through the stylomastoid foramen demonstrated better protective efficacy than when injected intraperitoneally.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning, China. E-mail: huilian613@126.com.
authors: Lian
authors: L
authors: Hui
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Yuan
authors: Zhong
authors: Z
authors: Ren
authors: Xuejun
authors: X
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000187:drug effects*; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D053148:Caspase 3
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