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Introduction
Facial nerve paralysis is a common problem with significant morbidity related to functional and aesthetic issues. Traumatic facial paralysis is the most common cause of peripheral facial palsy in children and is the second most common cause in adults after Bell's palsy.1Traumatic facial nerve paralysis can occur after blunt and penetrating head or neck trauma, or surgical trauma such as tympanoplasty, tympanomastoidectomy, acoustic tumour surgery or parotid surgery.
Many surgical and medical treatment approaches have been described for the treatment of traumatic facial nerve paralysis and rehabilitation of facial function.2-5Despite these treatments, poor facial nerve function and aesthetic problems may result. Incomplete recovery of the facial nerve fibres and longer regenerative course are the most important causes of incomplete facial nerve function.6
Facial nerve injuries may cause a series of biochemical and molecular cascades. Axonal damage occurs in a time-dependent manner, and involves increased polyamine metabolism and increased structural proteins.7-9Some studies have suggested that treatment with polyamines and proteins increases nerve regeneration.10-12
Agmatine is an aminoguanidine molecule, which is formed by decarboxylation of L-arginine by arginine decarboxylase.13Agmatine production is very low in the nervous system, but is present at very high levels after facial nerve injury. This finding indicates the potential effects of agmatine for repair and regeneration of the nerve.14Agmatine therapy was found to be effective in the treatment of nerve injuries in some reports.15-17The effect of agmatine on the facial nerve is still unclear, but it may accelerate facial nerve regeneration.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of agmatine sulphate on facial nerve regeneration after facial nerve injury using electron and light microscopy.
Materials and methods
This study was performed at Cukurova University Experimental Research and Application Center of Medical Sciences, Adana, Turkey, and was approved by the Committee of Cukurova University on Animal Research.
Thirty male Wistar albino rats, with a mean weight of 250 g (range, 230-275 g), were used for the study. The rats were kept in separate cages at a constant temperature (20 ± 2 °C) and humidity (55.5 per cent), in 12-hour...