Modulatory effects of Hypericum perforatum extract on sciatic nerve injury-induced peripheral neuropathy: an experimental study on mice

Year 2023, Volume: 48 Issue: 2, 513 - 521, 02.07.2023

Aylin Sarıyıldız , Halil Mahir Kaplan , Ergin Şingirik , Erkan Kozanoglu

https://doi.org/10.17826/cumj.1259761

Abstract

Purpose: The effect of Hypericum perforatum (HP), which is a medicinal plant, on sciatic nerve injury-induced peripheral neuropathy has been less studied so far. The current experimental study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective and antinociceptive effects of Hypericum perforatum (HP) extract on sciatic nerve injury-induced peripheral neuropathy in mice.
Materials and Methods: In the present study, 18 Balb/C albino mice were allocated equally into three groups. The first group was determined as controls, and no procedure was performed on these mice. Neuropathy was generated by the partial sciatic nerve ligation method on mice allocated to the second and third groups. Mice in the third group received HP extract at a dose of 70 mg/kg per day for fourteen days. Nociception (cold allodynia) was evaluated using the cold plate test at the end of the experimental period. Tumor necrosis factor –αlpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in plasma; inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax levels in sciatic nerve were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test.
Results: Cold plate latencies (sec) of the neuropathy + HP, neuropathy, and control groups were 8.33 ± 0.67, 5.17 ± 0.60, and 13 ± 0.73, respectively. Plasma TNF-α, IL-6 levels, and sciatic nerve iNOS, COX-2, NF-κB, caspase-3, and Bax levels were significantly decreased after HP supplementation. Bcl-2 levels of the neuropathy + HP, neuropathy, and control groups were 9.92 ± 0.71, 5.37 ± 0.53, and 13.65 ± 0.68, respectively.
Conclusion: HP has improved oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic responses, as well as cytokine levels in plasma and sciatic nerves of mice. It has been concluded that HP provided neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive effects in experimental mice with sciatic nerve injury models, which is suggested to guide future studies on neuropathic pain management.

Keywords

Cytokine, Hypericum perforatum, neuroinflammation, neuropathic pain, sciatic nerve injury

Supporting Institution

Çukurova University Scientific Research Projects Commission

Project Number

TTU-2017-9518

Thanks

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Hypericum perforatum ekstresinin siyatik sinir hasarı ile indüklenen periferik nöropati üzerindeki düzenleyici etkisi: fareler üzerinde deneysel bir çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Tıbbi bir bitki olan Hypericum perforatum'un (HP) siyatik sinir hasarına bağlı periferik nöropati üzerindeki etkisi şimdiye kadar az oranda çalışılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Hypericum perforatum (HP), ekstresinin farelerde siyatik sinir hasarına bağlı periferik nöropati üzerindeki nöroprotektif ve antinosiseptif etkilerini araştırmayı amaçlandı.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışmada, 18 Balb/C albino fare eşit olarak üç gruba ayrıldı. Birinci grup kontrol olarak belirlendi ve bu farelere herhangi bir işlem yapılmadı. İkinci ve üçüncü gruplara ayrılan farelerde kısmi siyatik sinir ligasyonu yöntemiyle nöropati oluşturuldu. Üçüncü gruptaki farelere, on dört gün boyunca günde 70 mg/kg HP ekstresi verildi. Nosisepsiyon (soğuk allodini), deneysel süreç sonunda soğuk plaka testi kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Plazmada, tümör nekroz faktörü –αlpha (TNF-α) ve interlökin-6 (IL-6); siyatik sinirde ise indüklenebilir nitrik oksit sentaz (iNOS), fosfolipaz A2, siklooksijenaz-2 (COX-2), nükleer faktör-kappa B (NF-κB), kaspaz-3, Bcl-2 ve Bax düzeyleri enzim bağlı immunosorbant testi ile değerlendirildi.
Bulgular: Nöropati + HP, nöropati ve kontrol gruplarının soğuk plaka latansları (sn) sırasıyla 8,33 ± 0,67, 5,17 ± 0,60 ve 13 ± 0,73 idi. Plazma TNF-α, IL-6 seviyeleri ve siyatik sinir iNOS, COX-2, NF-κB, kaspaz-3 ve Bax seviyeleri, HP takviyesinden sonra önemli ölçüde azaldı. Nöropati + HP, nöropati ve kontrol gruplarının Bcl-2 düzeyleri sırasıyla 9,92 ± 0,71, 5,37 ± 0,53 ve 13,65 ± 0,68 idi.
Sonuç: HP, farelerin plazma ve siyatik sinirlerindeki sitokin seviyelerinin yanı sıra oksidatif, inflamatuvar ve apoptotik yanıtları iyileştirmiştir. HP'nin deneysel fare siyatik sinir hasarı modellerinde nöroprotektif, anti-inflamatuvar ve antinosiseptif etkiler sağladığı sonucuna varılmış olup, nöropatik ağrı yönetimiyle ilgili gelecekteki çalışmalara rehberlik edeceği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Sitokin, Hypericum perforatum, nöroinflamasyon, nöropatik ağrı, siyatik sinir hasarı

Project Number

TTU-2017-9518

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