PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hui, Lian
AU  - Yuan, Jing
AU  - Ren, Zhong
AU  - Jiang, Xuejun
TI  - Nerve growth factor reduces apoptotic cell death in rat facial motor neurons after facial nerve injury
DP  - 2015 Jan 01
TA  - Neurosciences Journal
PG  - 65--68
VI  - 20
IP  - 1
4099  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/20/1/65.short
4100  - http://nsj.org.sa/content/20/1/65.full
SO  - Neurosciences (Riyadh)2015 Jan 01; 20
AB  - Objectives: To assess the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on motor neurons after induction of a facial nerve lesion, and to compare the effects of different routes of NGF injection on motor neuron survival.Methods: This study was carried out in the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, China Medical University, Liaoning, China from October 2012 to March 2013. Male Wistar rats (n = 65) were randomly assigned into 4 groups: A) healthy controls; B) facial nerve lesion model + normal saline injection; C) facial nerve lesion model + NGF injection through the stylomastoid foramen; D) facial nerve lesion model + intraperitoneal injection of NGF. Apoptotic cell death was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. Expression of caspase-3 and p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) was determined by immunohistochemistry.Results: Injection of NGF significantly reduced cell apoptosis, and also greatly decreased caspase-3 and PUMA expression in injured motor neurons. Group C exhibited better efficacy for preventing cellular apoptosis and decreasing caspase-3 and PUMA expression compared with group D (p<0.05).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that injections of NGF may prevent apoptosis of motor neurons by decreasing caspase-3 and PUMA expression after facial nerve injury in rats. The NGF injected through the stylomastoid foramen demonstrated better protective efficacy than when injected intraperitoneally.