FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY OF TRANSECTED NERVES TREATED WITH SYSTEMIC BNDF AND CNTF

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of systemic co -injections of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and brain-derived ne urotrophic factor (BDNF) on the functional recovery of transected scia tic nerves repaired by epineurial coaptation (EC) or collagen tubuliza tion (CT). Forty Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transection of their sc iatic nerves and repair by either EC or CT. With each repair technique , systemic injections of neurotrophic factors or control injections of lactated Ringer's solution were given. This resulted in four treatmen t groups: EC, EC + BDNF/CNTF, CT, and CT + BDNF/CNTF, Nerve function w as assessed using sciatic functional indices (SFI), Animals whose nerv es were repaired by CT (P = 0.01), CT + BDNF/CNTF (P = 0.04), and EC BDNF/CNTF (P = 0.04) all had better functional recovery than those wh ose nerves were repaired by EC. There were no significant differences among these three groups, however. Animals in the CT group manifested the most rapid rate of recovery (P = 0.02 compared with EC). Collagen tubulization and systemic co-injections of BDNF/CNTF improve the rate and extent of sciatic functional recovery after nerve repair. The impr ovement in recovery conferred is not additive. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, In c.