Olfactory bulb ensheathing cells enhance peripheral nerve regeneration.
Sciatic nerve resection leaving a 15 mm gap could not be repaired by bridging the stumps with a silicone tube prefilled with a laminin gel. However, when purified olfactory ensheathing cells (EC) were added to the gel filling the tube, successful axonal regeneration was observed in 50% of rats. With 12 mm gaps, regeneration occurred in 79% of rats with transplanted EC compared with 60% of those receiving collagen gel alone. Therefore, ECs help repair severe peripheral nerve injuries, in addition to their ability to promote axonal regeneration within the central nervous system.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D005782:Gels; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009462:Neurology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*