Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediates non-freezing cold injury of rat sciatic nerve

Non-freezing cold injury is an injury characterized by neuropathy, developing when patients expose to cold environments. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been shown as a contributing factor for the non-freezing cold nerve injury. However, the detailed connections between non-freezing cold nerve injury and ROS have not been described. In order to investigate the relationship between non-freezing cold nerve injury and reactive oxygen species, we study the effects of two cooling methods-the continuous cooling and the intermittent cooling with warming intervals-on rat sciatic nerves. Specifically, we assess the morphological changes and ROS production of the sciatic nerves underwent different cooling treatments. Our data shows both types of cooling methods cause nerve injury and ROS production. However, despite of identical cooling degree and duration, the sciatic nerves processed by intermittent cooling with warming intervals present more ROS production, severer reperfusion injury and pathological destructions than the sciatic nerves processed by continuous cooling. This result indicates reactive oxygen species, as a product of reperfusion, facilitates non-freezing cold nerve injury.