Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (24): 2132-2141.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.147944

Previous Articles     Next Articles

A novel artificial nerve graft for repairing long-distance sciatic nerve defects: a self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffold-containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduit

Xianghai Wang 1, Mengjie Pan 1, Jinkun Wen 1, Yinjuan Tang 2, Audra D. Hamilton 3, Yuanyuan Li 1, Changhui Qian 1, Zhongying Liu 1, Wutian Wu 4, 5, Jiasong Guo 1, 6,  7   

  1. 1 Department of Histology and Embryology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
    2 Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
    3 Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
    4 Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
    5 GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
    6 Key Laboratory of Tissue Construction and Detection of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
    7 Institute of Bone Biology, Academy of Orthopedics, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2014-10-06 Online:2014-12-25 Published:2014-12-25
  • Contact: Jiasong Guo, Department of Histology and Embryology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China, jiasongguo@aliyun.com.
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by a grant from the National Key Basic Research Program of China, No. 2014CB542202 and 2014CB542205; the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30973095 & 81371354; a grant from Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou, in China, No. 12C32121609; the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China, No. S2013010014697 to Guo JS and Hong Kong SCI Fund to Wu WT.

PDF

1313

Abstract:

In this study, we developed a novel artificial nerve graft termed self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffold (SAPNS)-containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) conduit (SPC) and used it to bridge a 10-mm-long sciatic nerve defect in the rat. Retrograde tracing, behavioral testing and histomorphometric analyses showed that compared with the empty PLGA conduit implantation group, the SPC implantation group had a larger number of growing and extending axons, a markedly increased diameter of regenerated axons and a greater thickness of the myelin sheath in the conduit. Furthermore, there was an increase in the size of the neuromuscular junction and myofiber diameter in the target muscle. These findings suggest that the novel artificial SPC nerve graft can promote axonal regeneration and remyelination in the transected peripheral nerve and can be used for repairing peripheral nerve injury.

Key words: nerve regeneration, peripheral nerve defect, artificial nerve graft, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), self-assembling peptide, nanofiber scaffold, remyelination, axon, myelin, neuromuscular junction, NSFC grants, neural regeneration