Mehran sharifi - Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University of Jahrom, Jahrom, Iran.
Ali shahraki - Assisstant professor of pharmacology, Department of Biology, Faculty of science, University of sistan and bluchestan zahedan, iran.

Injuries of the peripheral nerve system affect the neuronal cell bodies through a retrograde interaction which known as Wallerian degeneration. Artemisia herba-alba has anti oxidant, anti-inflammatory and several therapeutic effects which widely use in traditional medicine. The aim of present study was to study the neuroprotective effects of alcoholic extract of Artemisia herba-alba on neuronal density of alpha motoneurons in spinal cord ventral horn after sciatic nerve injury in rats.In this experimental study 30 male Wistar rats each weighing 200-250g were chosen and were randomly divided into 5 equal groups including control, compressed, and three compressed groups plus intraperitoneal injection of Artemisia Persica ethanolic extract with the concentration of 50,75, and 100 mg/kg; once a week for three weeks. Sciatic nerve compression inthese four groups was done using hematostatic forceps for 60 seconds. After 28 days, L4, L5,S1, and S3 of the spinal cord were sampled using perfusion method. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done by means of one-way Anova and Student’s t-test and using SPSS 19 at the significant level of (P<0.05).Neuronal density showed a meaningful difference in the compression and control groups (P<0.05). Also, in treatment groups had a significant increase compared to the compression group (P<0.05).The results of this study prove the neuroprotective effects of these extracts on neuralgia motoneurons of spinal cord.

Artemisia herba-alba, degeneration, sciatic nerve, neuroprotective