Effects of Qichu Fujin Recipe on regeneration and repair of injured sciatic nerve in rats

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Qichu Fujin Recipe (QCFJR), a compound traditional Chinese medicine, in repairing sciatic nerve injury in rats. METHODS: A total of 60 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, untreated group, mecobalamin group and QCFJR group. Except the normal control group, sciatic nerve injury was induced by crushing of left sciatic nerve. Rats in the mecobalamin group were intragastrically administered with mecobalamin solutions 150 microg/(kg x d), and rats in the QCFJR group were intragastrically administered with QCFJR 35.2 g/(kg x d), while rats in the untreated group were intragastrically administered with normal saline (0.5 mL/d), once a day for 4 weeks respectively. Sciatic function index (SFI) was determined by walking tract analysis 1 week and 2 and 4 weeks after crushing. Five rats in each group were sacrificed for histological observation at the different time points. The remnant rate of gastrocnemius wet weight and the diameter of gastrocnemius cells were calculated. Expression of S-100 protein in the distal stump of injured nerve was observed by using immunohistochemical method. Distal injured sciatic nerves were determined with toluidine blue staining and observed under a light microscope 1 week and 2 and 4 weeks after operation. Diameter of axon and depth of myelin sheath were calculated by an image analysis system. Ultrastructure of nerve fibers was determined with uranyl acetate and lead citrate staining and observed under an electron microscope. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, SFI, remnant rate of gastrocnemius wet weight, diameter of gastrocnemius cells, expression of S-100, diameter of axon and depth of myelin sheath in the mecobalamin group and the QCFJR group were significantly decreased at different time points (P<0.05), superior to those of the untreated group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Except the remnant rate of gastrocnemius wet weight and the diameter of gastrocnemius cells, there were no significant differences in other indexes between the mecobalamin group and the QCFJR group 1 week and 2 and 4 weeks after crushing (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: QCFJR can stimulate the regeneration and repair of nerve fiber and delay the skeletal muscle atrophy after sciatic nerve injury in rats.