Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
3D Kinematic Analysis for the Functional Evaluation in the Rat Model of Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury
Published on: February 12, 2020
The double-edged sword: effects of pregabalin on experimentally induced sciatic nerve transection and crush injury in
Mine Celik1, Ahmet Kose2, Duygu Kose3
1a Ataturk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation , Erzurum , Turkey.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to research the effects of pregabalin on experimentally induced peripheral nerve crush injuries in rats.
Material And Method:
Forty-two adult female Wistar albino rats were divided into seven groups: 1st group: healthy; 2nd group: axonotmesis control; 3rd group: anastomosis control; 4th group: axonotmesis+30 mg/kg of pregabalin; 5th group: axonotmesis+60 mg/kg of pregabalin; 6th group: anastomosis+30 mg/kg of pregabalin; 7th group: anastomosis+60 mg/kg of pregabalin. Evaluation of the sciatic functional index (SFI) was performed one day before and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 following surgery. The right sciatic nerves of all animals were examined histopathologically and molecularly.
Results:
After 28 days post-injury, the histopathological regeneration in peripheral nerve injuries for pregabalin 30 mg/kg treated groups was significantly better than that of the control groups. Also the SFI increases and TGF-β gene expression up-regulation were significantly better in pregabalin 30 mg/kg treated groups.
Conclusion:
The histopathological, functional and molecular data suggest that pregabalin 30 mg/kg treatment in axonotmesis and anostomosis groups improves nerve regeneration and increases SFI in peripheral nerve injuries by activating antiinflammatory cytokine TGF-β1.
