Turkish Neurosurgery
Effects of Topically Applied Contractubex® on Epidural Fibrosis and Axonal Regeneration in Injured Rat Sciatic Nerve
Rafet ÖZAY1, Emrah KESKİN2, Mehmet Serdar BALKAN3, Abit AKTAŞ4, Umut Doğu AKTÜRK5, Osman Behzat Burak ESENER4, Tülin AKTÜRK6, Şahin HANALİOGLU7, Cem ATABEY8, Zeki ŞEKERCİ9
1Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital: University of Health Sciences, NEUROSURGERY, ANKARA,
2Medicine Faculty of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, NEUROSURGERY, ZONGULDAK,
3Şişli Kolan International Hospital, NEUROSURGERY, İSTANBUL,
4Medicine Faculty of Istanbul University, VETERINARY HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOG, İSTANBUL,
5Emsey Advanced Spine Surgery Center, NEUROSURGERY, İSTANBUL,
6Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kirdar Research and Training Hospital, NEUROLOGY, İSTANBUL,
7, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, NEUROSURGERY, ANKARA,
8GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, NEUROSURGERY, İSTANBUL,
9Medipol Mega University Hospital, NEUROSURGERY, İSTANBUL,
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.40989-22.2

Aim:This study aimed to investigate the effects of Contractubex® (Cx) on peripheral nerve regeneration and scar formation.Material and Methods:A surgical procedure involving sciatic nerve incision in 24 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats followed by epineural suturing was performed. In weeks 4 and 12 following surgery, macroscopic, histological, functional, and electromyographic examinations of the sciatic nerve were conducted.Results:No significant difference was found between the Cx group and the control group in terms of sciatic function index (SFI) and distal latency results at week 4 (p > 0.05). However, significant improvements in the Cx group were observed in SFI amplitudes and nerve action potentials at week 12 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Significant improvements were found in the amplitudes of nerve action potentials in the treatment group after weeks 4 and 12 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). Macroscopically and histopathologically, epidural fibrosis decreased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). For both measurement times, the treatment group had significantly higher numbers of axons (week 4, p < 0.05; week 12, p < 0.001), and the treatment group had better results regarding its axon area (weeks 4 and 12, p < 0.001) and myelin thickness (weeks 4 and 12, p < 0.05).Conclusion:Cx, which is applied topically in peripheral nerve injury, affects axonal regeneration and axonal maturation positively and reduces the functional loss.

Corresponding author : Emrah KESKİN