Oxaliplatin induces hypomyelination and reduced neuregulin 1 expression in the rat sciatic nerve.

Oxaliplatin causes severe peripheral neuropathy. In this study, we examined hypomyelination in the peripheral nerve in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy rat model. Gene expression of neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a myelination regulatory factor, is reduced in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in DNA microarray analysis. Oxaliplatin increased the g-ratio and reduced levels of myelin protein zero in sciatic nerve, suggesting the hypomyelination. Moreover, oxaliplatin reduced NRG1 mRNA levels in the DRG and decreased levels of cleaved NRG1 type III protein in the sciatic nerve. Our results indicate that oxaliplatin induces hypomyelination and reduced NRG1 expression.