Effect of ganglioside treatment on number of nerve fibres after nerve crush in rats.

The sciatic nerve of the left hind leg of male Wistar rats was crushed using a standardized procedure. From the day of the crushing onwards rats were treated subcutaneously with 10 mg/kg of a ganglioside mixture and compared with a control group which received phosphate buffer only. From day 5 to 20 after nerve damage, histological evaluation of the sciatic nerve was performed and the number of nerve fibres determined. We found that from day 12 onwards on all days of observation the number of fibres was higher in the ganglioside-treated group than in the control group. The number of nerve fibres as a criterion of regeneration was statistically significant at days 12, 13 and 15 compared to control animals.