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Calcitonin improves nerve regeneration after transection injury and repair
Chaowen Wu, MD-PhD; Ji-Geng Yan, MD-PhD; John LoGiudice, MD; John Davis, BS; Lin-Ling Zhang, MD; Michael Agresti, MS; James Sanger, MD; Hani Matloub, MD; Robert Havlik, MD
Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Purpose: Investigate the effect of calcitonin on transected and repaired peripheral nerves
Methods: Sixteen rats underwent sciatic nerve transection followed by direct repair then were divided into two groups (n=8). The calcitonin group had a calcitonin-filled mini-osmotic pump implanted subcutaneously parallel to the repaired nerve. The control group was repaired without implantation of the pump.
Comparison between the groups were then made: 1) Compound muscle action potential recordings of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle; 2) Tetanic muscle force test of EDL; 3) Nerve calcium concentration; 4) nerve fiber count and calcified spots count.
Results: Injured sciatic nerve treated with calcitonin showed greater recovery compared to the injured untreated group.
Conclusions: The calcitonin-filled mini-osmotic pump improved functional recovery of injured sciatic nerves by accelerating calcium absorption from the repaired nerve which has potential clinical applications.
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