Verapamil inhibits scar formation after peripheral nerve repairin vivo

The calcium channel blocker, verapamil, has been shown to reduce scar formation by inhibiting ifbroblast adhesion and proliferationin vitro. It was not clear whether topical application of verapamil after surgical repair of the nerve in vivo could inhibit the formation of ex-cessive scar tissue. In this study, the right sciatic nerve of adult Sprague-Dawley rats was transected and sutured with No. 10-0 suture. The stoma was wrapped with gelfoam soaked with verapamil solution for 4 weeks. Compared with the control group (stoma wrapped with gelfoam soaked with physiological saline), the verapamil application inhibited the secretion of extracellular matrix from ifbroblasts in vivo, suppressed type I and III collagen secretion and increased the total number of axons and the number of myelinated axons. These ifndings suggest that verapamil could reduce the formation of scar tissue and promote axon growth after peripheral nerve repair.