Administration of Oxygen Ultra-Fine Bubbles Improves Nerve Dysfunction in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury Model

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 19; no. 5; p. 1395
• Main Authors: Matsuoka, Hozo, Ebina, Kosuke, Tanaka, Hiroyuki, Hirao, Makoto, Iwahashi, Toru, Noguchi, Takaaki, Suzuki, Koji, Nishimoto, Shunsuke, Murase, Tsuyoshi, Yoshikawa, Hideki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.05.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: AKT protein; Axonogenesis; Axons; Bubbles; c-Jun protein; Crushing; Dilution; Dorsal root ganglia; dorsal root ganglion neurons; Mathematical models; Nerve conduction; neurite outgrowth; Neurons; oxygen ultra-fine bubbles; Parameters; peripheral nerve; proliferation; Rats; regeneration; Schwann cells; Sciatic nerve; sciatic nerve crush injury; Transcription factors; ultra-fine bubbles; oxygen ultra-fine bubbles; proliferation; sciatic nerve crush injury; peripheral nerve; regeneration; Schwann cells; ultra-fine bubbles; neurite outgrowth; dorsal root ganglion neurons
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051395

Ultra-fine bubbles (<200 nm in diameter) have several unique properties and have been tested in various medical fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen ultra-fine bubbles (OUBs) on a sciatic nerve crush injury (SNC) model rats. Rats were intraperitoneally injected with 1.5 mL saline, OUBs diluted in saline, or nitrogen ultra-fine bubbles (NUBs) diluted in saline three times per week for 4 weeks in four groups: (1) control, (sham operation + saline); (2) SNC, (crush + saline); (3) SNC+OUB, (crush + OUB-saline); (4) SNC+NUB, (crush + NUB-saline). The effects of the OUBs on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and Schwann cells (SCs) were examined by serial dilution of OUB medium in vitro. Sciatic functional index, paw withdrawal thresholds, nerve conduction velocity, and myelinated axons were significantly decreased in the SNC group compared to the control group; these parameters were significantly improved in the SNC+OUB group, although NUB treatment did not affect these parameters. In vitro, OUBs significantly promoted neurite outgrowth in DRG neurons by activating AKT signaling and SC proliferation by activating ERK1/2 and JNK/c-JUN signaling. OUBs may improve nerve dysfunction in SNC rats by promoting neurite outgrowth in DRG neurons and SC proliferation.