壳寡糖可促进外周神经修复

Jiang, M., X. Zhuge, et al. (2009). "The promotion of peripheral nerve regeneration by chitooligosaccharides in the rat nerve crush injury model." Neuroscience Letters In Press, Uncorrected Proof.

 译者：乔莹
 
    南通大学的江苏省神经再生重点实验室最新发表在Neuroscience Letters上的研究表明，在坐骨神经损伤的大鼠模型中，腹腔注射壳寡糖可修复外周神经的损伤，促进神经再生，由此提示壳寡糖具有神经保护的功效。
    外周神经损在临床上十分常见,除由于外伤或交通事故中发生较多外,医源性神经损伤在临床上也很多。对于神经断面损伤需要进行外科手术修补，同时加以药物配合治疗以减轻损伤程度。因此，寻找有效的治疗药物，特别是一些天然来源的药物引起研究者的广泛兴趣。
    该实验室之前的研究发现，壳寡糖可支持神经细胞粘附，促进神经细胞的分化，促进神经元的分化及轴突的伸长。由此提示壳寡糖可能具有神经保护的功效。在这篇最新的研究中，作者采用分子量为800，脱乙酰度92.3%的壳寡糖，腹腔注射到外周神经损伤的模型大鼠中，检测一系列运动神经损伤后修复情况的生理指标，包括屈肌反射潜伏期(withdrawal reflex latency)，足迹实验(walking track analysis), 电生理检测（electrophysiological assessments），腓肠肌形态学分析（morphometric analysis of gastrocnemius muscle），及免疫组化和电镜分析坐骨神经的再生情况。结果表明，壳寡糖治疗组对坐骨神经的修复具有良好的促进作用。

Abstract
Chitooligosaccharides (COSs), the biodegradation product of chitosan, have shown many biological functions. In this study, we examined the possible benefits of treatment with COSs (M.W. 800) on regeneration of rat crushed sciatic nerves. The rats with sciatic nerve crush injury were administered intraperitoneally daily with 3 or 6 mg/kg body weight of COSs over a 3-week period. During and at the end of COSs treatment, a series of functional and histological examinations, including the measurement of withdrawal reflex latency (WRL) values, walking track analysis, electrophysiological assessments, morphometric analysis of gastrocnemius muscle, as well as immunohistochemistry and electromicroscopy to regenerated sciatic nerves, were performed to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of COSs. The experimental data demonstrated that COSs promoted peripheral nerve regeneration with the desired functional recovery in the rat sciatic nerve crush injury model. This study raises a possibility of developing COSs as a potential neuroprotective agent for peripheral nerve repair applications.