The effect of taurine on facial nerve regeneration in the New Zealand albino type rabbits

Objectives: To investigate the effect of taurine on the facial nervous regeneration by applying it to rabbits intravenously after the formation of peripheral partial facial lesion. Methods: 10 male New Zealand albino type rabbits’ facial nerves were injured by grasping with a clamp for 3 minutes. Right facial nerves of rabbits were employed as control group. Right facial nerve lesion was made in all rabbits as with a clamp. Described electrophysiological studies were performed preoperatively as well as postoperatively on the 10th and 45th days, thus amplitude and area of CMAP for right facial nerves were obtained at these time intervals. Two months later, left facial nerves of rabbits were injured in the same way and immediately after the injury taurine was administered with a daily dose 100 mg intravenously. Again, electrophysiological studies were performed preoperatively and postoperatively on the 10th and 45th days and same electrophysiological parameters were obtained for left facial nerves. Results: There was not a statistically significant interaction between time and group variables for amplitude and area measures (p=0.151 and 0.131 for Wilks’ Lambda for amplitude and area respectively). Conclusion: In our study we could not find any positive effect of taurine on axonal regeneration process after experimental facial nerve lesion.