The Healing Effects of Thymoquinone and Dexpanthenol in Sciatic Nerve Compression Injury in Rats

Abstract

Introduction

Functional healing of peripheral nerve injuries is still difficult. In this study, potential healing effects of thymoquinone and dexpanthenol in sciatic nerve compression injury (SCI) were investigated. Method: Twenty-four male Wistar albino rats which were applied compression injury to their sciatic nerves were randomly separated into four groups as following: “control” group contained six rats administered no pharmacological agent; “TMK” group consisted of six rats administered 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal thymoquinone once a day for one week; “DXP” group contained six rats administered 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal dexpanthenol once a day for one week; and “TMK–DXP” group consisted of six rats administered separately 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal thymoquinone and 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal dexpenthanol once a day for one week. Four weeks later from SCI, sciatic nerve function index (SFI) was applied before sacrifice of all rats, and then their crushed sciatic nerves were histopathologically examined, in terms of “Schwann cell count”, “axon and myelin degeneration”, “axon shape/size differences”, “fibrosis”, and “neovascularisation”. Results: “Schwann cell count” (p = 0.011), “axon and myelin degeneration” (p = 0.001), “axon shape/size differences” (p = 0.011), and “fibrosis and neovascularisation” (p = 0.026) scores were different between the control and TMK–DXP groups. SFI scores were different between the control and TMK groups (p = 0.002), between the control and TMK–DXP groups (p < 0.001), and between the DXP and TMK–DXP groups (p = 0.029). Conclusions: This study results revealed that these pharmacological agents used alone had no histopathological healing effect in rats with SCI, but thymoquinone could improve walking function. However, thymoquinone and dexpanthenol used together had a significant histopathological and functional healing effect.

Keywords:

• sciatic nerve
• compression injury
• thymoquinone
• dexpanthenol

Declaration of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. They also declare that they have not engaged in any financial relationship with any company whose product might be affected by the research described or with any company that makes or markets a competing product.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Co-ordination Unit of Kırıkkale University (Project No: 2014/98).