title: Beneficial Effect of Metformin on Nerve Regeneration and Functional Recovery After Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury in Diabetic Rats.
abstract: Neuroprotective effects of metformin have been increasingly recognized in both diabetic and non-diabetic conditions. Thus far, no information has been available on the potential beneficial effects of metformin on peripheral nerve regeneration in diabetes mellitus. The present study was designed to investigate such a possibility. Diabetes was established by a single injection of streptozotocin at 50 mg/kg in rats. After sciatic nerve crush injury, the diabetic rats were intraperitoneally administrated daily for 4 weeks with metformin (30, 200 and 500 mg/kg), or normal saline, respectively. The axonal regeneration was investigated by morphometric analysis and retrograde labeling. The functional recovery was evaluated by electrophysiological studies and behavioral analysis. It was found that metformin significantly enhanced axonal regeneration and functional recovery compared to saline after sciatic nerve injury in diabetic rats. In addition, metformin at 200 and 500 mg/kg showed better performance than that at 30 mg/kg. Taken together, metformin is capable of promoting nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve injuries in diabetes mellitus, highlighting its therapeutic values for peripheral nerve injury repair in diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Junxiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA, Rescue Center of Severe Wound and Trauma of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China. xiangbiliang1963@163.com.
authors.forename: Liangbi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008687:Metformin
keywords: Functional recovery; Metformin; Nerve regeneration; Neuroprotective; Sciatic nerve injury