Investigation of Cinnamaldehyde effect on Functional Recovery after Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury in Rats

Background and Aim : Peripheral nerves injury is a common problem in the clinic. These injuries are caused by various factors such as trauma, tumor, and damage during treatment. These events cause chemical and inflammatory changes at the site of injury that lead to more degeneration in the nerve. Therefore, reducing these changes can lead to nerve protection after injury. In this study, we evaluated whether Cinnamaldehyde (Cin) administration can enhance the nerve regeneration process and improve functional outcome after sciatic nerve crush in rats.Methods : 48 rats were divided into six groups including Sham, Injury, DMSO (vehicle group), and Cin (10, 30 and 90 mg/kg) groups. Crush injury in left sciatic nerve was induced by a small haemostatic forceps. Then, Cin was administered for 28 consecutive days after induction of crush injury. Sciatic functional index (SFI) was recorded weekly. Electrophysiological, histomorphometric evaluations, Gastrocnemius muscle wet weight and Serum Total oxidant status were assessed.Results : Our data showed that Cin accelerated regeneration of sciatic nerve after crush injury ,and 30 mg/kg of Cin had better effect on SFI recover, muscle mass ratio, and myelin content. Inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, along with provocation of myelination and prevention of muscular atrophy might be involved in this effect of Cin.Conclusion : In this study, we showed that the Cin have a positive effect in peripheral nerve regeneration. Cin treatment might be considered as a therapeutic agent for peripheral nerve regeneration and its functional recovery. However, more studies are required to determine the more appropriate dose for this purpose.

Keywords:

Sciatic nerve , Cinnamaldehyde (Cin) , Anti-oxidant , Anti-inflammation , Regeneration