Survival of adult rat retinal ganglion cells with regrown axons in peripheral nerve grafts: a comparison of graft attachment with suture of fibrin glue.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to examine whether the method of attachment of a peripheral nerve graft would have an effect on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) regeneration.


METHODS
The number of adult rat RGCs with regrown axons in a peripheral nerve graft was compared under two grafting conditions: 1) attachment of the graft to the optic nerve stump made using a suture; and 2) attachment made using fibrin glue. Counts of RGCs retrogradely labeled with FluoroGold from the grafts 1 month after attachment revealed approximately seven times the number of RGCs in the fibrin-glue group compared with the suture group.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of fibrin glue may be a useful tool for enhancing the regrowth of central nervous system neuron axons into peripheral nervous system grafts.
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
G A
GA
Robinson
R D
RD
Madison
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017950:Ganglia, Sensory / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000601:surgery; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012038:Regeneration; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013537:Sutures; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D014014:Tissue Adhesives