title: Neuroprotective effects of pregabalin in a rat model of intracisternal facial nerve avulsion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregabalin (PGB), a drug used for treating neuropathic pain, has immune-modulating property that may have therapeutic implications. Suppression of microglial activation and improvement in functional recovery was observed in experimental spinal cord injury after PGB administration. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate whether PGB could afford neuroprotection in a rat model of intracisternal facial nerve avulsion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight male Wistar rats (250-300 g) were dichotomized into two groups: a PGB group (N.=14) and a control group (N.=14). The PGB group received a total of 4 intraperitoneal PGB injections (30 mg/kg, 15 minutes preoperatively and 4, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively), and the control group underwent intraperitoneal saline injection. Intracisternal facial nerve avulsion was created by tangential pull-out of the nerve surgically exposed at the stylomastoid foramen. In both groups, the brainstem containing the facial motor nuclei neurons was thin-sliced and stained with cresyl violet, and the number of viable neurons in the facial motor nuclei on days 14 and 28 was counted under microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total viable neuron count was significantly greater in the PGB group than in the Control group both on day 14 (271.4±14.9 vs. 196.2±22.2, P<0.01) and day 28 (160.2±21.6 vs. 102.6±13.4, P<0.01). Furthermore, CD11b/c immunostaining on days 3 and 8 showed that CD11b/c-positive cells, suggestive of activated microglia, were observed only in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Better neuronal survival by PGB administration may be beneficial and clinically relevant when surgical reconstruction of the facial nerve, such as hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis, is considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan - inamasu@fujita-hu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inamasu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kogame
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Komatsu Municipal Hospital, Komatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Jichi Children's Medical Center Tochigi, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Ichiriyama-Imai Clinic, Kariya, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069583:Pregabalin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000069583:Pregabalin