Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2016, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (8): 1322-1326.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.189198

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Acellular allogeneic nerve grafting combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for the repair of long-segment sciatic nerve defects: biomechanics and validation of mathematical models

Ya-jun Li1, Bao-lin Zhao2, Hao-ze Lv3, Zhi-gang Qin4, *, Min Luo5   

  1. 1 School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China 2 Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China 3 Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China 4 Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China 5 Department of Pain, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
  • Online:2016-08-31 Published:2016-08-31
  • Contact: Zhi-gang Qin, M.D., lyj@jlu.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the Science and Technology Development Plan Project Fund of Jilin Province in China, No. 20110492.

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Abstract:

We hypothesized that a chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft used in combination with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation would be an effective treatment for long-segment sciatic nerve defects. To test this, we established rabbit models of 30 mm sciatic nerve defects, and treated them using either an autograft or a chemically decellularized allogeneic nerve graft with or without simultaneous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. We compared the tensile properties, electrophysiological function and morphology of the damaged nerve in each group. Sciatic nerves repaired by the allogeneic nerve graft combined with stem cell transplantation showed better recovery than those repaired by the acellular allogeneic nerve graft alone, and produced similar results to those observed with the autograft. These fndings confrm that a chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft combined with transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells is an effective method of repairing long-segment sciatic nerve defects.

Key words: nerve regeneration, chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft, autograft, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, sciatic nerve defects, biomechanics, electrophysiology, morphology, neural regeneration