Poly lactic acid--caprolactone copolymer tube with a denatured skeletal muscle segment inside as a guide for peripheral nerve regeneration: a morphological and electrophysiological evaluation of the regenerated nerves.
A biodegradable copolymer of poly L-lactic acid and epsilon-caprolactone (PLAC) was manufactured into a tube, in which a denatured skeletal muscle segment was placed longitudinally. This model tube was implanted as a guide to promote nerve regeneration across a 5 cm gap in the rabbit sciatic nerve. Five months after implantation, good nerve regeneration was found throughout the graft and in the distal host nerve. The population (29.6/16 x 10(2) microm(2)) of regenerated nerves in the graft was higher than that of the contralateral normal sciatic nerve (18.0/16 x 10(2) microm(2)). Regenerated nerve fibers extended to the distal host nerve. The number of myelinated fibers was 13.7/16 x 10(2) microm(2) at a level 1.5 cm from the distal suture. The diameters (below 2 microm) of most regenerated myelinated (nerves in the graft and in the distal host nerve were much smaller than those (6-8 microm) of normal nerves. Electrophysiological evaluation showed that the hindlimb muscle (gastrocnemius) was innervated by motor nerves in all animals 5 months after implantation. These results indicate that the PLAC tube with a denatured muscle segment inside provided good conditions for nerve fiber regrowth. The PLAC tube is thought to protect the denatured muscle segment from rapid dissociation in the host tissue.
Mligiliche
Nurru L
NL
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Tabata
Yasuhiko
Y
Kitada
Masaaki
M
Endoh
Katsuaki
K
Okamato
Keiko
K
Fujimoto
Etsuko
E
Ide
Chizuka
C
D020341:Absorbable Implants / Q000639:trends*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002208:Caproates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007783:Lactones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011817:Rabbits; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000601:surgery; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002208:Caproates; D007783:Lactones; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); C121056:caprolactone