Kanje M, Skottner A, Sjöberg J, Lundborg G
Department of Zoophysiology, University of Lund, Sweden.
Brain Res. 1989 May 8;486(2):396-8. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(89)90531-3.
The effect of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was tested on regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve after a crush lesion. IGF-I was administered via miniosmotic pumps to the dorsal root ganglia or locally around the crush lesion. Regeneration of sensory fibers was measured after 3 or 4 days superfusion by pinching. IGF-I stimulated regeneration in both administration paradigms. Regeneration was inhibited if the nerve was perfused with specific antibodies to native IGF-I. The results suggest that endogenous extracellular IGF-I plays an important role during regeneration of peripheral nerve fibers.
