Effect of I-125 Seed Implantation on Gene Expression in the Facial Nerve of Rabbits with Facial Nerve Injury

Oral and maxillofacial tumors, particularly malignant ones, account for approximately 20% of head and neck malignancies. This anatomical region is characterized by complex structures and dense neurovascular networks. Tumor progression or surgical procedures can readily cause facial nerve injury, subsequently leading to impairments in patient communication, emotional expression, and social functioning. Brachytherapy using Iodine-125 (I-125) seeds has been widely employed in the treatment of various solid tumors due to its advantages, such as straightforward application and continuous low-dose radiation delivery to the tumor target area. However, recent studies have indicated that I-125 seed implantation may exert damaging effects on surrounding tissues, muscles, and nerves. Nevertheless, its specific mechanism of action in the context of facial nerve injury remains unclear. In this study, a rabbit model of facial nerve transection injury was established. I-125 seeds were implanted into the injury site, and facial nerve tissues from both the injury model and the I-125 implanted injury model were collected for transcriptome sequencing. The aim was to further untangle the molecular mechanism of I-125 radiation in facial nerve injury. Overall design: To investigate the effect of I-125 seed implantation on facial nerve gene expression, a rabbit model of facial nerve injury was established via transection injury, and I-125 seeds were implanted into the injured area. On day 14 after modeling, injured facial nerve tissues were collected from the model group and the I-125 implantation group for RNA-seq analysis.