title: Bogijetong decoction and its active herbal components protect the peripheral nerve from damage caused by taxol or nerve crush.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bogijetong decoction (BGJTD) is a herbal drug formulation used in the traditional Asian medicine to treat neuropathic insults associated with diabetes and anticancer therapy. To understand the biological basis of BGJTD on protective effects against neuropathy, we investigated physiological and biochemical responses of the sciatic nerves deranged by taxol injection or crush injury in the rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dissociated Schwann cells and neurons were prepared from the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) respectively and were treated with taxol and BGJTD. The sciatic nerve in the rat was injected with taxol or given crush injury. Animals were then administered orally with BGJTD. Effects of BGJTD treatment on cultured cells and in vivo sciatic nerves and DRG tissues were examined by immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. Sciatic nerve regeneration was assessed by histological observation using retrograde tracing technique and by behavioral hot plate test. Eighteen different herbal components of BGJTD were divided into 4 subgroups and were used to select herbal drugs that enhanced neurite outgrowth in cultured neurons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morphological abnormalities in the sciatic nerve axons and DRG tissue caused by taxol injection were largely improved by BGJTD treatment. BGJTD treatment enhanced neurite outgrowth in cultured DRG neurons and improved Schwann cell survival. Phospho-Erk1/2 levels were elevated by BGJTD administration in the injured- or taxol-injected sciatic nerves. Vimentin phosphorylation catalyzed by cell division cycle 2 (Cdc2) kinase was induced from Schwann cells in the sciatic nerves after taxol injection and crush injury, and phospho-vimentin levels were further upregulated by BGJTD treatment. Retrograde tracing of DiI-labeled DRG sensory neurons revealed growth-promoting activity of BGJTD on axonal regeneration. A drug group (Be) composed of 4 active herbal components which were selected by neurite growth-enhancing activity was as effective as BGJDT for the recovery of thermal sensitivity of the hind paws which had been suppressed by taxol administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that BGJTD and its active herbal components may protects the peripheral nerve from damage caused by taxol injection and nerve crush.
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea.
authors: So Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea.
authors: In Ae
authors: IA
authors: Chang
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea.
authors: Ki-Joong
authors: KJ
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea.
authors: Chul-Jung
authors: CJ
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea.
authors: Uk
authors: U
authors: Namgung
authors: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 300-716, South Korea. choo1o2@dju.kr.
authors: Chung-Sik
authors: CS
authors: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020011:Protective Agents; D017239:Paclitaxel
keywords: Bogijetong-decoction; Nerve injury; Neuropathy; Regeneration; Taxol