Repair of peripheral nerve gap with the use of tissue engineering scaffold complex.
- Author:
Wei WANG
1
;
Ming FAN
;
Xiao-dong ZHI
;
Shu-hong LIU
;
Pin-duan LIU
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Absorbable Implants; Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Chitosan; Disease Models, Animal; Feasibility Studies; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; Male; Nerve Growth Factors; pharmacology; Nerve Regeneration; drug effects; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Peripheral Nerves; physiopathology; surgery; Prosthesis Implantation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sepharose; Stents; Tissue Engineering; methods
- From: Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2005;27(6):688-691
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo study the feasibility to repair the peripheral nerve gap with tissue engineering scaffold complex that is composed of medical biodegradable material agarose hydrogel and nerve growth factor (NGF).
METHODSChitosan tube containing agarose hydrogel and NGF was transplanted to bridge a 10 mm gap of injured sciatic nerve in rat. Chitosan duct without agarose hydrogel and NGF was used as negative control, while autograft nerve as positive control. Sixteen weeks after operation, the regeneration of nerve fiber was observed with morphological and immunohistochemistrical methods.
RESULTThe number and diameter of regenerating nerve fibers bridged by the scaffold complex of agarose hydrogel and NGF were better than negative control group (P < 0.01) and reached the level of autograft nerve group.
CONCLUSIONSThe new type of tissue engineering scaffold complex of agarose hydrogel and NGF may provide a microenvironment, as well as autograft nerve, to promote nerve regeneration. This technique may benefit patients with nerve injury in the future.
