Regeneration In Nerve Growth Factor On Inferior Alveolar Nerve After Crush Injury

Objective To explore the effect of exogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) on the regeneration of adult white rabbits inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) after being crushed. To study the dynamic recovering process of the structure and function of the injuried nerve, which may provide a valid conservative way to cure injuried nerve Methods Thirty adult Neazealand adult white rabbits' bilateral IAN were divided into two groupsï¼›The left side was control(A) , the right is NGF-using group(B). A micro-hemostat was used to create nerve crushing model of biliteral IAN around the mental foramen. A was injected normal saline (NS) 1ml, and B was injected 1ml NGF-NS mixed solution ,one time every one day within two weeks. histological exam and electrophysiological appreciation were used to assess the regeneration of the crushed nerves. The total number,the conduction velocities, the thickness of myelin sheathes and the diameter of the regenerating myelinated nerve fibers were compared between A and B . Results The results showed that: the number, diameter and thickness of the myelin sheath of the regenerating nerves of B is superior to that of A in the same time. At the same time, the conduction velocities of regenerating nerves in the NGF-using group were faster than that of the control. Conclusion this study suggested that exogenous NGF can enhance the regeneration of the crushed IAN and the recovery of its sensory function. It is a valid method to inject NGF in the soft tissue of mental foramen area where is innervated by mental nerve terminal.