133: Differences Serum and Peripheral Nerve GDNF Levels of Rats with Sciatic Injury Treated with ADMSCs

Topic: Basic Science
Subtopic: Pain category (ICD-11), Acute posttraumatic pain, , , , , , , , , , Developing methodology/technology, Assessment and Measurement of Pain/Nociception

Background and Aims: Neuropathic pain resulting from nervous system injury often leads to persistent and intractable condition. Current treatment strategy remains limited and showed unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) originally isolated from rat glial cell and identified as neurotrophic factor enhances dopamine uptake of dopaminergic neuron in mecencephalone, sympathetic neurons, and notably motor neurons in peripheral nervous system. Consequently, GDNF and its receptors have targeted for development of novel analgesic therapies. Stem cells modulate the function and role of sensory and motor neuron, enhance neurogenesis, and stimulate axonal growth, myelination and analgesia effect by controlling the regulation of GDNF. Consequently, cell therapy emerges as an innovation in neural regeneration.
This study aims to explore the differences of GDNF levels on serum and peripheral nerves of rats with sciatic nerve injury.

Methods: The research design was a randomized post-test-only control group. Thirty males albino Wistar rats, aged 8-9 weeks (250-300 gram) were divided into treatment and control groups (each group, n=5). The Sciatic nerve injury model was created using the crush injury method. The treatment group received Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ADMSCs) injection while the control group was administered a saline solution. The ADMSCs (2x105) were injected into the treatment group, whereas saline solution was injected into the control group. On days 3, 7, and 14 after the injury, ELISA were used to detect the expression levels GDNF in serum and peripheral nerves.

Results: The result showed a significant difference in the mean ± SE of serum GDNF levels between treatment group and control group (0,746ng/mL±0,02 vs 0,635ng/mL±0,02, p=0,007). Similarly, a significant difference was observed in GDNF levels of peripheral nerve in both groups (1,089ng/mL±0,04 vs 0,88ng/mL±0,04, p=0,001). Serum GDNF levels were significantly elevated in the treatment group on days 7 and 14 compared to the control group on days 3 (0,81ng/mL±0,035; 0,813ng/mL±0,035 vs 0,574ng/mL±0,035, p=0,003). Although, GDNF levels within peripheral nerve showed no significant difference between the treatment and control group across the same observation period.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the role of ADMSCs by comparing GDNF levels in serum and peripheral nerve between the treatment and control group. ADMSCs contributed the increasing of serum GDNF levels periodically. Furthermore, serum GDNF has the potential to become a molecular biomarker for neural damage and neuropathic pain due to sciatic nerve injury.

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Presenting Author: Ida Ayu Sri Wijayanti
Submitting Author: Ida Ayu Sri wijayanti

Senior Author: I Putu Eka Widyadharma

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: Yes

• Saktivi Harkitasari: Md.,PhD - Universitas Warmadewa, Bali, Indonesia
• Ida Ayu Manik Pasrtha Sutema: Apt, S.Farm., M.Farm - Universitas Bali Internasional, Bali, Indonesia
• Chrissanty: Md. - Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia
• Ni Nyoman Yuliantini: Md. - Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia
• Christine Kathy Putri Sari: Md. - Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia
• Ketut Liana Arya Dewi: S.ked - Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia
• I Putu Eka Widyadharma: Md., PhD - Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia