investigation into regeneration effects of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions through the evaluation of ngf gene expression

Neural growth factor (ngf) is important for the maintenance and survival of sympathetic nerve cells; it also stimulates schwann cell migration and reduces degeneration, enhances healing after environmental damage, and increases angiogenesis. echinacea purpurea is reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. this study examined ngf gene expression changes after sciatic nerve compression in rats, in the presence of echinacea purpurea extract. after echinacea purpurea soxhlet hydroalcoholic extraction, different fractions were prepared from it. 36 male wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups including control, compression and treatment a (compression + hydroalcoholic extract in dose of 75 mg kg^-1), treatment b (compression + ethyl acetate fraction in dose of 75 mg kg^-1), treatments c (compression + n butanol fraction in dose of 75 mg kg^-1) and d (compression + water phase with dose of 75 mg kg^-1), in these groups, the sciatic nerve right leg was compressed. the extract was injected intraperitoneally on two occasions. a biopsy was taken from the spinal cord segments l4-l6 on day 28, and finally, ngf gene expression changes were analyzed by anova and t-test software (p<0.05). results indicate that comparing gene expression between control and compression groups and the compression group showed a significant difference with the hydroalcoholic and n butanol groups and the aqueous phase (p=0.000). however, there was no significant difference between the compression group and the ethyl acetate group (p=0.6). results show that echinacea purpurea hydroalcoholic extract improves nerve regeneration via a significant increase in ngf gene expression.