Experimental study on the effect of green tea polyphenols combined with Mecobalamin on the repair of peripheral nerve injury

Objective To investigate the effect of green tea polyphenols combined with Mecobalamin on nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve injury and repair. Methods Sixty adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental group and the control group, 30 rats in each group. Another 6 Wistar rats were taken as the blank control group. The experimental group was given green tea polyphenols 50 mg/(kg·d) and Mecobalamin 50 μ g/(kg·d) by gavage, while the control group was given Mecobalamin 50 μ g/(kg·d) by gavage for 2 weeks. Then the general condition, electrophysiological recovery, wet weight recovery rate of triceps surae muscle, the number of myelinated nerve fibers and the difference of histopathology were observed. Results The average nerve conduction velocity and myelinated nerve fiber count in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group at the 2nd, 4th and 6th week after operation (P 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the experimental group, the control group and the blank control group at the 12th week after operation (P>0.05). The recovery rate of wet weight of triceps surae muscle in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). In the experimental group, the regenerated myelinated nerve fibers were evenly distributed, arranged relatively orderly, with high density and less hyperplasia of connective tissue. Conclusion The green tea polyphenols may play an important role in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. Key words: Peripheral nerve; Nerve regeneration; Green tea polyphenols; Mecobalamin