title: The effect of tacrolimus on facial nerve injury: Histopathological findings in a rabbit model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tacrolimus helps healing of facial nerve injury.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Positive effects of tacrolimus on axon regeneration and healing of injured peripheral nerves (eg. sciatic nerve) have been reported in the literature. Tacrolimus may be an additional treatment method that could improve the nerve healing after surgical treatment of cut injury of facial nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 New Zealand rabbits were randomly separated into control and study groups of 10. In control group, no medical treatment was given after facial nerve anastomosis, and the animals were followed up for 2months. In the study group rabbits were given 1mg/kg/day tacrolimus subcutaneously for 2months after the facial nerve anastomosis. The histopathologic findings of axon regeneration like axon myelination were analyzed in both groups under electron and light microscopy. The data obtained in the groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater axon diameters, thicker myelin sheaths, and higher total number of myelinated axons were found in the tacrolimus group, suggesting better regeneration in this group when compared to the control group. There was less vacuolar degeneration in the study group. All these findings suggest that tacrolimus positively affects healing after facial nerve anastomosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that tacrolimus has favorable effects on the healing process of the facial nerve after end-to-end anastomosis. Tacrolimus may be a promising agent in the future for nerve regeneration following traumatic facial paralysis surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Kirikkale Yüksek İhtisas Hospital, Kirikkale, Turkey. Electronic address: drgokcetulaci@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kamil Gokce
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Tulaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuzuner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karadas Emir
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İlkan
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Tatar
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sargon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Kirikkale Yüksek İhtisas Hospital, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tugba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tulaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, MediBafra Hospital, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karadavut
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ethem Erdal
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Samim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D011817:Rabbits; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus