Mandibular Branch of the Facial Nerve in Wistar Rats: New Experimental Model to Assess Facial Nerve Regeneration

Abstract

Introduction The ideal animal model for nerve regeneration studies is the object of controversy, because all models described by the literature have advantages and disadvantages.

Objective To describe the histologic and functional patterns of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve of Wistar rats to create a new experimental model of facial nerve regeneration.

Methods Forty-two male rats were submitted to a nerve conduction test of the mandibular branch to obtain the compound muscle action potential. Twelve of these rats had the mandibular branch surgically removed and submitted to histologic analysis (number, partial density, and axonal diameter) of the proximal and distal segments.

Results There was no statistically significant difference in the functional and histologic variables studied.

Conclusion These new histologic and functional standards of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve of rats establish an objective, easy, and greatly reproducible model for future facial nerve regeneration studies.

Keywords

facial nerve - electromyography - nerve regeneration - histologic analysis

• References

• 1 Barrs DM. Facial nerve trauma: optimal timing for repair. Laryngoscope 1991; 101 (8) 835-848
• 2 Mattox DE, Felix H. Surgical anatomy of the rat facial nerve. Am J Otol 1987; 8 (1) 43-47
• 3 Bento RF. Contribuição para o estudo da anastomose do nervo facial. Comparação entre o adesivo tecidual fibrínico e a sutura epineural. Estudo em gatos. São Paulo, Brazil: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo; 1988
• 4 Costa HJZR. Estudo experimental sobre a regeneração pós-traumática do nervo facial em coelhos. São Paulo, Brazil: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo; 2003
• 5 Salomone R, Costa HJZR, Rodrigues JR, Reis e Silva SM, Ovando PC, Bento RF. Assessment of a neurophysiological model of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve in rats by electromyography. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2012; 121 (3) 179-184
• 6 Dezawa M, Takahashi I, Esaki M, Takano M, Sawada H. Sciatic nerve regeneration in rats induced by transplantation of in vitro differentiated bone-marrow stromal cells. Eur J Neurosci 2001; 14 (11) 1771-1776
• 7 Seckel BR, Chiu TH, Nyilas E, Sidman RL. Nerve regeneration through synthetic biodegradable nerve guides: regulation by the target organ. Plast Reconstr Surg 1984; 74 (2) 173-181
• 8 Borin A, Toledo RN, Faria SD, Testa JR, Cruz OL. Behavioral and histologic experimental model of facial nerve regeneration in rats. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2006; 72 (6) 775-784
• 9 Donaldson HH. The rat: Data and reference tables for the albino rat (Mus norvegius albinus) and the norway rat (Mus norvegius). J Comp Neuro 1912; 22: 71-72
• 10 Aldskogius H, Barron KD, Regal R. Axon reaction in dorsal motor vagal and hypoglossal neurons of the adult rat. Light microscopy and RNA-cytochemistry. J Comp Neurol 1980; 193 (1) 165-177
• 11 Labelle JJ, Allen DE. The peripheral nerve repair. A review. J Maine Med Assoc 1972; 63 (8) 164-166
• 12 McCoy EG, Boyle WF. Reinnervation of the facial muscles following extratemporal facial nerve resection. Laryngoscope 1971; 81 (1) 1-7
• 13 Spector JG, Lee P, Derby A. Rabbit facial nerve regeneration in autologous nerve grafts after antecedent injury. Laryngoscope 2000; 110 (4) 660-667
• 14 Szal GJ, Miller T. Surgical repair of facial nerve branches. An analysis of diferente sheathing and suturing techniques. Arch Otolaryngol 1975; 101 (3) 160-165
• 15 Grosheva M, Guntinas-Lichius O, Arnhold S , et al. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation does not improve quality of muscle reinnervation or recovery of motor function after facial nerve transection in rats. Biol Chem 2008; 389 (7) 873-888
• 16 Stipp-Brambilla EJ, Romão AM, Garbino JA, Salgado MH, Viterboz F. Efeito da exposição cirúrgica de nervos e músculos no teste neurofisiológicos em ratos. Acta Fisiatr 2010; 17 (3) 109-111
• 17 Lewin SL, Utley DS, Cheng ET, Verity AN, Terris DJ. Simultaneous treatment with BDNF and CNTF after peripheral nerve transection and repair enhances rate of functional recovery compared with BDNF treatment alone. Laryngoscope 1997; 107 (7) 992-999
• 18 National Research Council. Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources. Comission on life sciences. Manual sobre Cuidados e Usos de Animais de Laboratório. Goiânia: AAALAC/COBEA; 2003
• 19 Costa HJZR, Salomone R, Silva CF, Costa MP, Ramos BL, Bento RF. Quantitative histological analysis of the mandibular branch of the facial nerve in rats. Acta Cir Bras 2012; 27 (11) 747-750
• 20 Semba K, Egger MD. The facial “motor” nerve of the rat: control of vibrissal movement and examination of motor and sensory components. J Comp Neurol 1986; 247 (2) 144-158
• 21 Kinderman NB, Jones KJ. Axotomy-induced changes in ribosomal RNA levels in female hamster facial motoneurons: differential effects of gender and androgen exposure. Exp Neurol 1994; 126 (1) 144-148
• 22 Hebel R, Stromberg MW. Anatomy of the Laboratory Rat. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins; 1976
• 23 Byrne PJ, Stuart RM, Fakhry C, Lehar M, Flint PW. An electrophysiologic model for functional assessment of effects of neurotrophic factors on facial nerve reinnervation. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2005; 7 (2) 114-118
• 24 Shi Y, Zhou L, Tian J, Wang Y. Transplantation of neural stem cells overexpressing glia-derived neurotrophic factor promotes facial nerve regeneration. Acta Otolaryngol 2009; 129 (8) 906-914
• 25 Liverson JA, Dong MM. Laboratory Reference for Clinical Neurophysiology. Philadelphia, PA: Davis Company; 1992
• 26 Nobrega JAM, Manzano GM. Manual de Eletroneuromiografia e potenciais evocados cerebrais para a pratica clinica. São Paulo, Brazil: Ateneu; 2007
• 27 Greene EC. The Anatomy of the Rat. New York, NY: Hafner; 1955
• 28 Thomander L, Aldskogius H, Grant G. Motor fibre organization in the intratemporal portion of cat and rat facial nerve studied with the horseradish peroxidase technique. Acta Otolaryngol 1982; 93 (5–6) 397-405
• 29 Wingerd BD. Rat Dissection Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1988
• 30 Costa HJ, Bento RF, Salomone R , et al. Mesenchymal bone marrow stem cells within polyglycolic acid tube observed in vivo after six weeks enhance facial nerve regeneration. Brain Res 2013; 13: 10-21
• 31 Hubbard JH. The quality of nerve regeneration. Factors independent of the most skillful repair. Surg Clin North Am 1972; 52 (5) 1099-1108
• 32 Vasconcelos BCE, Gay-Escoda C. Facial nerve repair with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and collagen conduits: an experimental study in the rabbit. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2000; 58 (11) 1257-1262
• 33 Miyamoto H. Introduction of axon packing density for histological quantitative assessment of peripheral nerve regeneration. Hiroshima J Anesthesia 1985; 21 (1) 3-17
• 34 Donovan A. The nerve fibre composition of the cat optic nerve. J Anat 1967; 101 (Pt 1) 1-11
• 35 Duncan D. A relation between axone diameter and myelination determined by measurement of myelinated spinal root fibres. J Comp Neurol 1934; 60: 437-471
• 36 Fernand VS, Young JZ. The sizes of the nerve fibers of muscle nerves. Proc Royal Soc 1951; 139: 38-58
• 37 Williams PL, Wendell-Smith CP. Some additional parametric variations between peripheral nerve fibre populations. J Anat 1971; 109 (Pt 3) 505-526
• 38 May M, Schaitkin BM. The Facial Nerve. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Thieme; 2000
• 39 Harrison DFN. Fibre size frequency in the recurrent laryngeal nerves of man and giraffe. Acta Otolaryngol 1981; 91 (5–6) 383-389
• 40 Mayhew TM, Sharma AK. Sampling schemes for estimating nerve fibre size. I. Methods for nerve trunks of mixed fascicularity. J Anat 1984; 139 (Pt 1) 45-58
• 41 Mayhew TM, Sharma AK. Sampling schemes for estimating nerve fibre size. II. Methods for unifascicular nerve trunks. J Anat 1984; 139 (Pt 1) 59-66
• 42 Abercrombie M, Johnson ML. Collagen content of rabbit sciatic nerve during Wallerian degeneration. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1946; 9 (4) 113-118
• 43 Gundersen HJG. Notes on the estimation of the numerical density of arbitrary profiles: the edge effect. J Microsc 1977; 111 (2) 219-223
• 44 Salomone R, Bento RF, Costa HJ , et al. Bone marrow stem cells in facial nerve regeneration from isolated stumps. Muscle Nerve 2013; 48 (3) 423-9
• 45 Ochi M, Noda M, Nakamitsu K , et al. Promotion of sciatic nerve regeneration in rats by a new neurotrophic pyrimidine derivative MS-430. Gen Pharmacol 1995; 26 (1) 59-64