RESUMO
Both brain injury and tacrolimus have been reported to promote the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves. In this study, before transection of rat sciatic nerve, moderate brain contusion was (or was not) induced. After sciatic nerve injury, tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant, was (or was not) intraperitoneally administered. At 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, Masson's trichrome, hematoxylin-eosin, and toluidine blue staining results revealed that brain injury or tacrolimus alone or their combination alleviated gastrocnemius muscle atrophy and sciatic nerve fiber impairment on the experimental side, simultaneously improved sciatic nerve function, and increased gastrocnemius muscle wet weight on the experimental side. At 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, brain injury induction and/or tacrolimus treatment increased action potential amplitude in the sciatic nerve trunk. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde tracing revealed that the number of horseradish peroxidase-positive neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord was greatly increased. Brain injury in combination with tacrolimus exhibited better effects on repair of injured peripheral nerves than brain injury or tacrolimus alone. This result suggests that brain injury in combination with tacrolimus promotes repair of peripheral nerve injury.