Neural mobilization promotes nerve regeneration by nerve growth factor and myelin protein zero increased after sciatic nerve injury

Abstract

Neurotrophins are crucial in relation to axonal regrowth and remyelination following injury; and neural mobilization (NM) is a noninvasive therapy that clinically is effective in neuropathic pain treatment, but its mechanisms remains unclear. We examined the effects of NM on the regeneration of sciatic nerve after chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rats. The CCI was performed on adult male rats, submitted to 10 sessions of NM, starting 14 days after CCI. Then, the nerves were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy and western blot for neural growth factor (NGF) and myelin protein zero (MPZ). We observed an increase of NGF and MPZ after CCI and NM. Electron microscopy revealed that CCI-NM samples had high numbers of axons possessing myelin sheaths of normal thickness and less inter-axonal fibrosis than the CCI. These data suggest that NM is effective in facilitating nerve regeneration and NGF and MPZ are involved in this effect.

Neural Mobilization Treatment Decreases Glial Cells and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in the Central Nervous System in Rats with Neuropathic Pain Induced by CCI in Rats

“…Previous results have shown that NM is able to decrease pain sensitivity in rats after CCI injury, which suggests that this technique could be used as an adjuvant therapy for patients with pain symptoms [22, 24]. Here, we sought to better understand the types of cells that are involved in this phenomenon.…”

“…The NM technique used here has been described by Butler (1991) and adapted by our laboratory [22, 24]. Briefly, rats were anesthetized with halothane with a continuous flow of medicinal oxygen throughout the procedure (5 mL/L).…”

“…The technique aims to restore the mobility and elasticity of the peripheral nervous system that are lost due to strains that are imposed on the nerve trunks, roots, nerves, spinal cord, nerve wrappings, and the meninges by oscillations and joint angles. The growth of various physiotherapy techniques involving manual therapy that have been studied by researchers (e.g., global postural reeducation [18], joint mobilization [19–21], and the NM technique) has gradually resulted in the reaping of the fruits of new knowledge [22–24]. …”

The effect of nerve mobilization exercise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study

“…The mobilization was shown to redistribute the sodium ion channels of sensory axons (25), increase neural growth factor and myelin protein zero in injured nerves (38,39). Overall, the therapeutic effects of the nerve mobilization could be accounted for by reduction of physical stress through the movements of the nerves (17,18) and intraneural fluid dispersion (19,20), normalization of sensory axons excitability (25), and promotion of nerve regeneration by stimulating expression of neural growth factor and myelin protein zero (38,39).…”

“…Overall, the therapeutic effects of the nerve mobilization could be accounted for by reduction of physical stress through the movements of the nerves (17,18) and intraneural fluid dispersion (19,20), normalization of sensory axons excitability (25), and promotion of nerve regeneration by stimulating expression of neural growth factor and myelin protein zero (38,39). As a pilot study, the methodology had several limitations such as sample size, subjects' homogeneity and the length of the follow-up period.…”