facial-nerve-surgery-rat-model-to-study-axonal-inhibition

Facial Nerve Surgery in the Rat Model to Study Axonal Inhibition and Regeneration

This protocol describes consistent and reproducible methods to study axonal regeneration and inhibition in a rat facial nerve injury model. The facial ...

Michigan Medicine

Cranial nerve injury is disabling for patients, and facial nerve injury is particularly debilitating due to combined functional impairment and disfigurement. The most widely accepted approaches for reconstructing nerve gap injuries involve using sensory nerve grafts to bridge the nerve defect. Prior work on preferential motor reinnervation suggests, however, that motor pathways may preferentially support motoneuron regeneration after nerve injury. The effect of motor versus sensory nerve grafting after facial nerve injury has not been previously investigated. Insights into outcomes of motor versus sensory grafting may improve understanding and clinical treatment of facial nerve paralysis, mitigating facial asymmetry, aberrant reinnervation, and synkinesis. This study examined motor versus sensory grafting of the facial nerve to investigate effect of pathway on regeneration across a 5-mm rodent facial nerve defect. We enrolled 18 rats in 3 cohorts (motor, sensory, and defect) and recorded outcome measures including fiber count/nerve density, muscle endplate reinnervation, compound muscle action potential, and functional whisker twitch analysis. Outcomes were similar for motor versus sensory groups, suggesting similar ability of sensory and motor grafts to support regeneration in a clinically relevant model of facial nerve injury.

Effect of Motor versus Sensory Nerve Autografts on Regeneration and Functional Outcomes of Rat Facial Nerve Reconstruction.

Aberrant synkinetic movement after facial nerve injury can lead to prominent facial asymmetry and resultant psychological distress. The current practices of neuroinhibition to promote greater facial symmetry are often temporary in nature and require repeated procedures.

Comparison of Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein With Vincristine for Facial Nerve Inhibition After Bilateral Axotomy in a Transgenic Thy1-Gfp Rat Model.

Facial nerve injury is a source of major morbidity. This study investigated the neuroregenerative effects of inducing an anti-inflammatory environment when reconstructing a facial nerve defect with a multichannel bridge containing interleukin-4 (IL-4)-encoding lentivirus.

Article	Year
Effect of Motor versus Sensory Nerve Autografts on Regeneration and Functional Outcomes of Rat Facial Nerve Reconstruction. Scientific reports\| PubMed ID: 31175313	2019
Comparison of Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein With Vincristine for Facial Nerve Inhibition After Bilateral Axotomy in a Transgenic Thy1-Gfp Rat Model. JAMA facial plastic surgery\| PubMed ID: 31219545	2019
Delivery of Interleukin-4-Encoding Lentivirus Using Multiple-Channel Bridges Enhances Nerve Regeneration. The Laryngoscope\| PubMed ID: 32220076	2020

Aaron W. Stebbins

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