title: The effectiveness of different neuroprotective agents in facial nerve injury: An experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine and compare the neuroprotective effects of dexamethasone, oxytocin, and resveratrol administration on regeneration after facial nerve crush injury in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, controlled animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A crush-type facial nerve injury was performed on the right side of all rats (injury group [IG]), whereas there was no injury on the left side (sham group [SG]). These main groups were divided into five subgroups: 1) no medicine (control); 2) physiological serum; 3) dexamethasone; 4) oxytocin; and 5) resveratrol (Res) administered (intraperitoneal injection) for 28 days. Functional recovery was evaluated by daily eye-blink reflex and facial electromyography. Nerve-muscle degeneration and regeneration, apoptosis, and intercellular connections were evaluated in histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recovery time of the postinjury eye-blink reflex demonstrated faster recovery in IG+Res when compared with the other subgroups. In peak-to-peak amplitude values, a significant increase was observed in the dexamethasone (P=0.007) and oxytocin subgroups (P=0.004) and was even more apparent in the resveratrol subgroup (P<0.001). Nerve regeneration is apparent in the resveratrol subgroup. Apoptotic changes were evaluated immunohistochemically with TUNEL and Caspase 3 and 6 antibodies staining. Caspase 3 and 6 immunoexpressions of resveratrol and oxytocin subgroups were moderate when compared with dexamethasone subgroup. Except for the resveratrol subgroup, which had an increase in expression, the majority of subgroups were similar to SG in terms of intercellular connections (Connexin 32 and 43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Resveratrol leads to the best outcome after facial nerve crush injury in rats when compared with dexamethasone and oxytocin, even though these agents demonstrate a significant improvement in facial nerve regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey.
authors: Gokce
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6145-4685
authors: G
authors: Tanyeri
authors: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey.
authors: Onur
authors: O
authors: Celik
authors: Department of Physiology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine.
authors: Oytun
authors: O
authors: Erbas
authors: Department of Histology & Embryology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Oltulu
authors: Department of Histology & Embryology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Yilmaz Dilsiz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D053178:Caspase 6 / Q000032:analysis; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013267:Stilbenes; D010121:Oxytocin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D053148:Caspase 3; D053178:Caspase 6; D000077185:Resveratrol
keywords: Facial nerve; neuroprotective agents; oxytocin; regeneration; resveratrol