Local Administration of Nimodipine and Improvement of Functional Recovery of the Transected Sciatic Nerve after Bridging with Inside-out Artery Graft

Abstract

Nimodipine is a US Food and Drug Administration approved drug that has been shown to act as a possible pharmacologic treatment for facial nerve injury. The objective was to assess the effect of locally administered nimodipine on transected peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Sixty male healthy white Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups (n = 15), randomly: In transected group (TC), left sciatic nerve was transected and stumps were fixed in the adjacent muscle. In treatment group defect was bridged using an inside-out artery graft (IOAG/Nimodipine) filled with 10 μL nimodipine (100 ng/mL). In artery graft group (IOAG), the graft was filled with phosphate-buffered saline alone. In sham-operated group (SHAM), sciatic nerve was exposed and manipulated. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups of five animals each and regenerated nerve fibers were studied 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. Behavioral testing, biomechanical studies, sciatic nerve functional study, gastrocnemius muscle mass and morphometric indices confirmed faster recovery of regenerated axons in IOAG/Nimodipine than IOAG group (p < 0.05). In immunohistochemistry, location of reactions to S-100 in IOAG/Nimodipine was clearly more positive than that in IOAG group.When loaded in an artery graft nimodipine accelerated and improved functional recovery and morphometric indices of sciatic nerve. This may have clinical implications for the surgical management of patients after facial nerve transection.