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Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers., a medicinal mushroom, activates peripheral nerve regeneration

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Abstract

Objective

To study the ability of aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus mushroom in the treatment of nerve injury following peroneal nerve crush in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Methods

Aqueous extract of Hericium erinaceus was given by daily oral administration following peroneal nerve crush injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. The expression of protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways; and c-Jun and c-Fos genes were studied in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) whereas the activity of protein synthesis was assessed in peroneal nerves by immunohistochemical method.

Results

Peripheral nerve injury leads to changes at the axonal site of injury and remotely located DRG containing cell bodies of sensory afferent neurons. Immunofluorescence studies showed that DRG neurons ipsilateral to the crush injury in rats of treated groups expressed higher immunoreactivities for Akt, MAPK, c-Jun and c-Fos as compared with negative control group (P <0.05). The intensity of nuclear ribonucleoprotein in the distal segments of crushed nerves of treated groups was significantly higher than in the negative control group (P <0.05).

Conclusion

H. erinaceus is capable of promoting peripheral nerve regeneration after injury. Potential signaling pathways include Akt, MAPK, c-Jun, and c-Fos, and protein synthesis have been shown to be involved in its action.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Kah-Hui Wong, Murali Naidu & Pamela David

  2. Mushroom Research Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Kah-Hui Wong, Gowri Kanagasabapathy, Murali Naidu, Pamela David & Vikineswary Sabaratnam

  3. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia

    Vikineswary Sabaratnam

Authors
  1. Kah-Hui Wong
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  2. Gowri Kanagasabapathy
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  3. Murali Naidu
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  4. Pamela David
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  5. Vikineswary Sabaratnam
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Correspondence to Kah-Hui Wong.

Additional information

Supported by the High Impact Research Grant and Fundamental Research Grant Scheme FP023/2008C of University of Malaya

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Wong, KH., Kanagasabapathy, G., Naidu, M. et al. Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers., a medicinal mushroom, activates peripheral nerve regeneration. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 22, 759–767 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1624-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1624-2

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