title: Early cyclosporin A treatment retards axonal degeneration in an experimental peripheral nerve injection injury model.
abstract: Injury to peripheral nerves during injections of therapeutic agents such as penicillin G potassium is common in developing countries. It has been shown that cyclosporin A, a powerful immunosuppressive agent, can retard Wallerian degeneration after peripheral nerve crush injury. However, few studies are reported on the effects of cyclosporin A on peripheral nerve drug injection injury. This study aimed to assess the time-dependent efficacy of cyclosporine-A as an immunosuppressant therapy in an experimental rat nerve injection injury model established by penicillin G potassium injection. The rats were randomly divided into three groups based on the length of time after nerve injury induced by cyclosporine-A administration (30 minutes, 8 or 24 hours). The compound muscle action potentials were recorded pre-injury, early post-injury (within 1 hour) and 4 weeks after injury and compared statistically. Tissue samples were taken from each animal for histological analysis. Compared to the control group, a significant improvement of the compound muscle action potential amplitude value was observed only when cyclosporine-A was administered within 30 minutes of the injection injury (P < 0.05); at 8 or 24 hours after cyclosporine-A administration, compound muscle action potential amplitude was not changed compared with the control group. Thus, early immunosuppressant drug therapy may be a good alternative neuroprotective therapy option in experimental nerve injection injury induced by penicillin G potassium injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erkutlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alptekin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sirma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geyik
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Sanko University, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abidin Murat
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Geyik
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Private Park Hospital, Adıyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Inan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gezgin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdulvahap
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gök
keywords: Wallerian degeneration; cyclosporine A; injection injury; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neuroelectrophysiology; penicillin G potassium; peripheral nerve injury