Is phosphatidylcholine harmful to the peripheral neural tissue? An experimental study in rats.

Background: Subcutaneous phosphatidylcholine (PC) injection has become a popular technique for treating localized fat accumulation. Some clinical studies reported minor local soft tissue complications, such as ecchymosis, edema, and pain. However, there are no data on how PC affects the peripheral nervous tissue.

Objective: To investigate the local effect of PC on the peripheral nervous tissue of rats.

Methods: Twenty adult Lewis rats weighing between 200 and 300 g were divided into 2 experimental groups (n=10). In group 1, animals received an intrafascicular injection of 0.1 mL PC (Lipostabil 250 mg/5 mL) with a 30-gauge needle into the left posterior tibial nerve. In group 2, as a negative control group, 0.1 mL normal saline was injected intrafascicularly respectively. After the operation, rats were evaluated on days 7, 14, and 21 with walking track analysis. On day 21, all the animals were sacrificed and the left tibial nerves were taken for histologic study. Light and electron microscopic studies, along with morphometric analysis, were performed.

Results: According to the tibial nerve indices, there were no signs of nerve damage observed in either of the groups, and there was no statistical difference between the groups (P> .05). The nerves that received PC and saline injections could not be distinguished grossly and appeared similar to segments of the nerve that did not come in contact with either solution. The number and diameter of fibers, the thickness of the myelin, and the percentage of neural tissue were comparable with normal controls. According to these analyses, there were no statistical differences between the 2 groups (P> .05).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in a rat model, even direct intraneural injection of PC causes no damage. This information should encourage people to consider broader applications of PC.