Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2013, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (24): 2266-2274.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.24.006

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Nanofibrous nerve conduits for repair of 30-mm-long sciatic nerve defects

Esmaeil Biazar1, Saeed Heidari Keshel2, 3, Majid Pouya4, Hadi Rad4, Melody Omrani Nava4, Mohammad Azarbakhsh5, Shirin Hooshmand5   

  1. 1 Department of Biomaterial Engineering, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran
    2 Student Research Committee, Proteomics Research Center, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    3 Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    4 Department of Medical Sciences, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran
    5 Faculty of Medical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
  • Received:2013-05-02 Revised:2013-06-08 Online:2013-08-25 Published:2013-08-25
  • Contact: Esmaeil Biazar, Ph.D., Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tonekabon branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran, kia_esm@yahoo.com.
  • Supported by:

    伊朗伊斯兰阿扎德大学基金项目（No. 73/442453）

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Abstract:

It has been confirmed that nanofibrous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nerve conduit can promote peripheral nerve regeneration in rats. However, its efficiency in repair of over 30-mm-long sciatic nerve defects needs to be assessed. In this study, we used a nanofibrous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nerve conduit to bridge a 30-mm-long gap in the rat sciatic nerve. At 4 months after nerve conduit implantation, regenerated nerves were macroscopi-cally observed and histologically assessed. In the nanofibrous graft, the rat sciatic nerve trunk had been reconstructed by restoration of nerve continuity and formation of myelinated nerve fiber. There were Schwann cells and glial cells in the regenerated nerves. Masson’s trichrome staining showed that there were no pathological changes in the size and structure of gastrocnemius muscle cells on the operated side of rats. These findings suggest that nanofibrous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate) nerve conduit is suitable for repair of long-segment sciatic nerve defects.

Key words: neural regeneration, peripheral nerve injury, sciatic nerve, artificial conduit, nanofiber, poly(3-hydr- oxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), macroscopic observation, histology, grants-supported paper, neuroregeneration