Growth-promoting Activity of Sanyak (Dioscoreae rhizoma) Extract on Injured Sciatic Nerve in Rats

The present study evaluates the potential effects of Sanyak (Dioscoreae rhizome) on the regenerative capacity of the peripheral sciatic nerve after crush injury in rats. Focal application of Sanyak extract at the injury site increased GAP-43 and Cdc2 protein levels in the distal portion of the injured nerve. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the signals of phospho-vimentin as Cdc2 substrate protein were almost colocalized with Cdc2. Retrograde DiI-tracing revealed enhancement in distal elongation of regenerating axons. Furthermore, the number of non-neuronal cells was higher in Sanyak-treated animals than saline controls. Thus, these data suggest that Sanyak extract is effective for promoting regenerative responses in injured peripheral neurons.