STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF N-ACETYLCYSTEINE ON FUNCTIONAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL EVALUATIONS OF CRUSHED SCIATIC NERVE IN THE RAT

Oxidative stress has a prominent role on function of injured peripheral nervous
system. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of n-acetyl cysteine on functional, biochemical
factors and ultrastructural changes induced by experimental crush on sciatic nerve in the rat.
Materials & Methods: Sixty rats were divided into 5 groups, which contained 12 animals each. Left
sciatic nerve was crushed using hemostatic forceps for 60 seconds. Animals received n-acetyl cysteine
at doses of 10 and 40 mg/kg intraperitoneally for 15 consecutive days. Functional recovery of sciatic
nerve was assessed using Sciatic Functional Index (SFI). Malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide
dismutase (SOD) activity of sciatic nerve tissue were measured. Ultra-thin histopathological slides were
prepared for electromicroscopical evaluation.
Results: N-acetyl cysteine significantly accelerated recovery of SFI values (p<0.05). It also significantly
improved MDA level and SOD activity of sciatic nerve tissue (p<0.05). Thinning, invagination and bleb
formation of myelin sheath accompanied by vacuolation of axoplasm, which were observed in crushed
sciatic nerve, were recovered in n-acetyl cysteine treated animals.
Conclusion: Results of the current study revealed that n-acetyl cysteine accelerated the recovery of
crushed sciatic nerve. This ability of n-acetyl cysteine may be due to its antioxidant property. Besides,
n-acetyl cysteine exerts its neuroprotective effect by decreasing the alterations of myelin sheath as well
as axoplasm