An Animal Model of Ischemic Facial Palsy

Abstract

We investigated facial palsy which was induced by the interruption of the petrosal artery in guinea pigs. Forty animals were observed for 2 months regarding their behavioral facial nerve function and assessed by the blink reflex. Morphological changes in the intratemporal portion were observed with transmission electron microscopy in 20 animals with an interrupted petrosal artery. Facial palsy developed in 85.0% within 3 days after the interruption. The degree of palsy varied from mild to severe. Remission of palsy required 2–3 months in severe cases, 3 weeks or less in mild/moderate cases. Histological studies revealed a striking difference in the degree of degenerative changes between severe cases and mild/moderate cases. Animals with severe palsy showed extensive axonal atrophy and myelin disruption from the early stage. Meanwhile, degenerative changes were slight in cases with mild/moderate palsy. Regenerating unmyelinated fibers appeared 1 week after the interruption, but diminished in number 4 weeks later. Thereafter, new myelin was reformed on fibers. In cases of severe nerve damage, however, this regeneration process did not always seem to work well. A decrease in number and an irregular shape of the fibers were noted in animals with incomplete recovery. This animal model may be helpful for understanding the pathophysiology of ischemic facial palsy.