Abstract: Objective To explore the feasibility and efficacy of therapeutic role in injuried facial nerve induced by Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mediated by ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction. Method Forty SD rats were divided into 4 groups after the models of facial nerve injury were established: A, PBS group, B, HGF and microbuble (HGF+MB) group, C, HGF and ultrasound (HGF+US) group, D, HGF+ultrasound+microbubble (HGF+MB/US)group. The nerve conduction velocity(NCV) and potential latency and amplitude of facial nerve were measured on 28d in all rats after transfection. HGF expression was detected by Western blot. HGF mRNA expression was detected by real-time RT-PCR, Results The behavioral analyses results showed that The nose tip position and vibrissae movement in D group were better than that of the other groups. The NCV and potential amplitude of the facial nerve in D group were increased, but the potential latency was decreased. HGF expressions was higher than those of other groups in D gouop. The expression levels of HGF mRNA in D group was significantly higher than that of the other groups(p＜0.05). Conclusion Ultrasound-mediated mircobuble destruction could improve the transfection of HGF in injury facial nerve safely and facilitates its restoration.

Key words: ultrasound mircobubble, hepatocyte growth factor, facial nerve injury