BACKGROUND:Mouse nerve growth factor can promote the repair and regeneration of injured nerves, but current experimental research shows that the effects of different treatment methods are stil controversial.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of mouse nerve growth factor injection via different ways on the treatment of peripheral nerve injury.
METHODS:Total y 52 patients with peripheral nerve injury were randomly assigned into two groups:experimental group (local injection of mouse nerve growth factor, n=27) and control group (systemic administration of mouse nerve growth factor, n=25). The treatment was performed once a day, and lasted for 4 weeks. Then, the clinical efficacy and recovery of neurological function were compared.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The good and effective rates were 85%(n=23) and 93%(n=25) in the experimental group, while 72%(n=18) and 84%(n=21) in the control group, respectively, which were significantly better in the experimental group than the control group (P<0.05). In the experimental group, 13 cases developed transient pain at injection site, including one case of remission undergoing oral analgesics;in the control group, 12 cases had transient pain at injection site, without any treatment. The results suggest that both local and total body injection of mouse nerve growth factor are safe and effective for treatment of peripheral nerve injury, but local injection is superior to systemic administration.

Objective: To investigate the neuroprotective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) combined with low⁃intensity transcranial ultrasound (LITUS) treatment on traumatic brain injury (TBI) . Methods: Seventy⁃two SD rats were randomly divided into four groups , namely , control group , TBI group , MSC injection group , and combined treatment group , with 18 rats in each group. TBI model was established by applying a pneumatic controlled cortical impingement instrument. Within 24 h after surgery , MSC was injected into the injury site by microinjector and microinjector pump using in situ injection. After injection , the injury site was treated with LITUS for 28 consecutive days using an ultrasound stimulator. The modified neurological functioning score ( mNSS) was performed on rats in each group at 1 , 3 , 7 , 14 , 21 and 28 days postoperatively , and then the brains were extracted to detect pathological changes at the injury site and the mRNA and protein expression of brain⁃derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) , growth associated protein⁃43 ( GAP⁃43) , postsynaptic density protein⁃95 ( PSD⁃95 ) and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) by HE staining , immunohistochemistry , Western blot and RT⁃PCR. Results: Compared with the control group , the mNSS score increased in the TBI group (P < 0. 05) , the expression of GAP⁃43 and PSD⁃95 decreased , and the expression of GFAP increased ( P < 0. 05 ) ; Compared with the TBI group , the mNSS score of MSC group was lower (P < 0. 05) , the expression of BDNF , GAP⁃43 , PSD⁃95 increased , and the expression of GFAP decreased (P < 0. 05) ; mNSS scores were lower in the combined treatment group than those in the MSC group (P < 0. 05) , the expression of BDNF , GAP⁃43 , PSD⁃95 increased , and the expression of GFAP decreased (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion The mechanism by which MSC combined with LITUS exerts neuroprotective effects in TBI may be related to the promotion of BDNF , GAP⁃43 , and PSD⁃95 expression and reduction of GFAP expression.