title: Preservation of peripheral nerve grafts: a comparison of normal saline, HTK organ preservation solution, and DMEM Schwann cell culture medium.
abstract: The regeneration of peripheral nerve grafts was evaluated in a rat model, after pretreating the grafts with Schwann cell culture medium, HTK organ preservation solution, and normal saline, under cold ischemic conditions for different time periods. Following orthotopic replantation of the grafts into donor animals, the quality of regeneration was assessed after 6 weeks, compared to positive controls (autologous transplantation) and negative controls (acellular grafts). The regenerative quality in the Schwann cell culture groups with ischemic periods of 32 and 72 hr was comparable to normal controls. Significantly minor regeneration was detected in specimens undergoing 14 and 120 hr of ischemia in the Schwann cell culture medium and in the HTK and normal saline groups, regardless of ischemic time. Among the conclusions was that controlled proliferation of Schwann cells seems to be a basic principle for preservation of peripheral nerve grafts.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lassner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fansa
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003470:Culture Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005947:Glucose; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D008353:Mannitol; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D011343:Procaine; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012092:Replantation; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014021:Tissue Preservation
chemical_list: C039984:Bretschneider cardioplegic solution; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D003470:Culture Media; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D008353:Mannitol; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011343:Procaine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D005947:Glucose