Effect of Local Vibration Therapy on ERK1/2-Mediated Schwann Cell Proliferation in Rats With Sciatic Nerve Injury.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of local vibration therapy on the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signaling pathway and the proliferation of Schwann cell with the goal of promoting remyelination after sciatic nerve injury (SNI).

METHODS

Experimental Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the sham group, SNI group, vibration group, and U0126 inhibitor group, with 8 rats in each group. The rats in the vibration and U0126 inhibitor groups received local vibration intervention for 21 consecutive days from the 7th day after operation. We used the sciatic nerve functional index to assess behavioral recovery in rats and performed immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting to assess the effects of SC proliferation and expression of myelin protein in the injured sciatic nerve.

RESULTS

The sciatic nerve functional index of rats in the vibration group was significantly increased on the 21st and 28th day after surgery compared to that of those the SNI group; on the 28th day after injury, p-ERK1/2 was significantly activated and Schwann cell proliferation was induced in the vibration group, but U0126 inhibitor group showed no significant difference effect in Schwann cell proliferation. The expression of myelin basic protein secreted by Schwann cell was significantly upregulated in the vibration group compared to the SNI group, but myelin basic protein expression was not significantly different in the U0126 group.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that local vibration therapy after SNI accelerated Schwann cell proliferation through activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and effectively promoted myelin repair in a rat model.