The effect of electrical stimulation and testosterone on the expression of regeneration‐associated genes

Abstract

Despite robust regenerative potential following peripheral nerve injury, suboptimal outcomes often result in clinical situations. Our laboratory has recently shown that electrical stimulation (ES) and testosterone propionate (TP) can target two different phases of the regeneration process: delay time before sprout formation and regeneration rate, respectively. Furthermore, our laboratory has recently published that the combinatorial treatment of ES and TP significantly increased the expression of several regeneration‐associated genes (RAGs) compared to untreated animals after facial nerve crush injury. Since lower limb nerve injuries following trauma comprise a significant portion of peripheral nerve injuries, we investigated whether the combinatorial treatment of ES and TP improves axonal regeneration after injury to the sciatic nerve. We examined whether the expression profile of RAGs seen after facial nerve crush injury also occurred after sciatic nerve crush injury. To test this, rats received a crush injury to the sciatic nerve. Following injury, animals received either no treatment or treatment with ES and/or TP. After treatment, animals were euthanized at 6 hrs and 1, 2, 7, and 21 days post‐crush. Differences in mRNA expression of RAGs between the different treatment groups was determined by qPCR.Grant Funding Source: Indiana University Collaborative Research Grant