Xu Le-qin, Li Xiao-feng, Zhang You-wei, Shu Bing, Shi Qi, Wang Yong-jun, Zhou Chong-jian
Institute of Spine, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China.
Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2010 Dec;8(12):1174-9. doi: 10.3736/jcim20101210.
To observe the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe, a Chinese compound herbal medicine, on apoptosis of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and expression of caspase-3 in rats after lumbar nerve root compression injury.
A total of 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups: control group, untreated group, Methylcobal group and Yiqi Huayu Recipe group. Surgery was performed on rats of untreated group, Methylcobal group and Yiqi Huayu Recipe group to place a micro-silica gel on right L₄ DRG, while control group received skin and paravertebral muscle incision only. Rats in Methylcobal group and Yiqi Huayu Recipe group were given Methylcobal by intramuscular injection and Yiqi Huayu Recipe intragastrically respectively. Rats in control group and untreated group received saline intragastrically as equal amount as Yiqi Huayu Recipe group. The compressed nerve roots were harvested at the 10th day after treatment. Apoptosis of DRG neurons was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling. Caspase-3 activity and mRNA expression in compressed nerve roots were detected with spectrophotography and real-time polymerase chain reaction respectively.
Apoptosis of DRG neurons was significantly increased in the rat model. The apoptosis index of untreated group was higher than that of control group (P<0.01). Yiqi Huayu Recipe and Methylcobal could reduce the apoptosis of DRG neurons, and both groups showed a lower apoptosis index than untreated group (P<0.01). Caspase-3 activity and its gene expression were significantly increased in untreated group. The levels of caspase-3 activity and its gene expression in untreated group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Yiqi Huayu Recipe and Methylcobal could reduce the overexpression of caspase-3 mRNA, and statistically significant differences were found between the untreated group and Yiqi Huayu Recipe group or Methylcobal group (P<0.01).
Lumbar nerve root compression results in overexpression of caspase-3 in nerve root tissue and increase of DRG neuron apoptosis. Yiqi Huayu Recipe can inhibit the overexpression of caspase-3 and alleviate the apoptosis of DRG neurons after nerve injury.
观察中药复方益气化瘀方对大鼠腰神经根压迫损伤后背根神经节（DRG）神经元凋亡及半胱天冬酶-3（caspase-3）表达的影响。
将40只雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为4组：对照组、未治疗组、甲钴胺组和益气化瘀方组。对未治疗组、甲钴胺组和益气化瘀方组大鼠行手术，在右侧L₄背根神经节放置微硅胶，而对照组仅行皮肤及椎旁肌切开。甲钴胺组和益气化瘀方组大鼠分别肌肉注射甲钴胺和灌胃给予益气化瘀方。对照组和未治疗组大鼠灌胃给予与益气化瘀方组等量的生理盐水。治疗10天后取受压神经根。采用末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导的缺口末端标记法检测DRG神经元凋亡。分别用分光光度法和实时聚合酶链反应检测受压神经根中caspase-3活性及mRNA表达。
大鼠模型中DRG神经元凋亡明显增加。未治疗组凋亡指数高于对照组（P<0.01）。益气化瘀方和甲钴胺可减少DRG神经元凋亡，两组凋亡指数均低于未治疗组（P<0.01）。未治疗组caspase-3活性及其基因表达明显增加。未治疗组caspase-3活性及其基因表达水平高于对照组（P<0.05或P<0.01）。益气化瘀方和甲钴胺可降低caspase-3 mRNA的过表达，未治疗组与益气化瘀方组或甲钴胺组之间差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）。
腰神经根受压导致神经根组织中caspase-3过表达及DRG神经元凋亡增加。益气化瘀方可抑制caspase-3的过表达，减轻神经损伤后DRG神经元的凋亡。
