title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Nurru L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Mligiliche
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitada
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endoh
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamato
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Chizuka
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ide
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D007783:Lactones; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); C121056:caprolactone