Restoration of sensory dysfunction following peripheral nerve injury by the polysaccharide from culinary and medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. through its neuroregenerative action
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Abstract
Peripheral nerves have the unique capability to regenerate after injury. Insights into regeneration of peripheral nerves after injury may have implications for neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system. We investigated the ability of polysaccharide from Hericium erinaceus mushroom in the treatment of nerve injury following peroneal nerve crush in Sprague-Dawley rats by daily oral administration. In sensory functional recovery test, the time taken for the rats to withdraw its hind limb from contact with the hot plate was measured. The test revealed acceleration of sensory recovery in the polysaccharide group compared to negative controls. Further, peripheral nerve injury leads to changes at the remotely located DRG containing cell bodies of sensory neurons. Immunofluorescence studies showed that Akt and p38 MAPK were expressed in DRG and strongly upregulated in polysaccharide group after peripheral nerve injury. The intensity of endothelial cells antigen-1 that recognized endothelial cells in the blood vessels of distal segments in crushed nerves was significantly higher in the treated groups than in the negative control group. Our findings suggest that H. erinaceus is capable of accelerating sensory functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury and the effect involves the activation of protein kinase signaling pathways and restoration of blood-nerve barrier.
Keywords
Hericium erinaceus, Polysaccharide, Peripheral nerve regeneration, Sensory functional recovery, Protein kinases, Blood-nerve barrier
Divisions
fac_med,InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Funders
University of Malaya RG268-13AFR,Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia through High Impact Research Grant UM.C/625/1/HIR/MoE/SC/02
Publication Title
Food Science and Technology
Volume
35
Issue
4
Publisher
Sociedade Brasileira de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Alimentos