Experimetal research Dexamethasone and vitamin B12 synergistically promote peripheral nerve regeneration in rats by upregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Authors: Lei Wang
Tao Yang
Qing Li
Zhitu Zhu
Wei Wang
Qiang Li
Hongzhi Sun
Dongsheng Li
Guang Bai
Journal: Archives of Medical Science (2012)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; dexamethasone; peripheral nerve repair; sciatic nerve; vitamin B12.
Affiliations: Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou, China.

Abstract:  Introduction: Dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) are currently used in the clinic to treat peripheral nerve damage but their mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. In this study we hypothesized that dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) promote the production of endogenous neurotrophic factors, thereby enhancing peripheral nerve repair. Material and methods: Ninety-six adult male Wistar rats were employed to establish a sciatic nerve injury model. They were then randomly divided into 4 groups to be subjected to different treatment: saline (group A), dexamethasone (group B), vitamin B(12) (group C), and dexamethasone combined with vitamin B(12) (group D). The walking behavior of rats was evaluated by footprint analysis, and the nerve regeneration was assessed by electrophysiological analysis and ultrastructural examination. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, NT-3 and IL-6 in the injured sciatic nerves was detected by immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analysis. Results: Dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) promoted the regeneration of myelinated nerve fibers and the proliferation of Schwann cells. Furthermore, dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) promoted the recovery of sciatic functional index and sensory nerve conduction velocity, and upregulated BDNF expression in the injured sciatic nerves. Conclusions: Dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) promote peripheral nerve repair in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury through the upregulation of BDNF expression. These findings provide new insight into the neurotrophic effects of dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) and support the application of these agents in clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injury. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 2. * The bottom left corners of most of the panels here appear to show repetitive features. Could the authors please explain if they were trying to e.g. cover up a scale bar or logo? And if so, could they please provide the originals? Note that the arrows are part of the original figures. ![file] Also, the email address listed, blueskydavid@163.com, surprisingly does not match well with the name of the corresponding author, Wei Wang. , 
 Dear Dr. Elisabeth M Bik, Thank you very much for pointing out the mistake.we attached great importance on it and immediately begin to check the original records and experimental data. , 
 Dear Dr. Elisabeth M Bik, thanks for helping us find this mistakeu3002We checked the original data carefully. When we submitted the paper, we misused the pictures in Figure 2. We found the original picture, hoping to replace the wrong pictures .We sincerely apologize for the confusion and trouble we have caused to you.We are now actively communicating with the magazineu3002Thank you very much for your attention u3002 In addition, David is my English name, blueskydavid@163.com is my email. ![file] , 
 Dear Dr. Wang, thank you for providing the original photos. What happened to the first set? I am trying to understand how a set of original photos got changed and partially duplicated. , 
 I have contacted the student in charge of the immunohistochemical experiment to inquire about the reasons for the wrong photos submitted, but he did not give me specific reasons due to a long time. As a corresponding author, I didn t check the final contribution carefully, which is my responsibility. Here I would like to apologize to you and more scholars. I am willing to take the responsibility of our research team. We are actively contacting the magazine to correct the pictures. Thank you again for your help. ,