title: Long-term regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve through a biodegradable poly(DL-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) nerve guide: tissue reactions with focus on collagen III/IV reformation.
abstract: Long-term studies on nerve-guide regeneration are scarce. Therefore, in rats, long-term (16 months) sciatic nerve regeneration through poly(DL-lactide-epsilon-caprolactone) [poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL)] nerve guides was studied and compared with the nonoperated control side. Poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL) degradation and possible long-term foreign body reaction against poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL) nerve guides, as well as the distribution of both collagen type III and IV were studied. In vivo poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL) studies have been performed before but not for such long time points; also, a detailed analysis of collagen III/IV has not been presented before. The results demonstrate that biodegradable poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL) nerve guides yield good nerve regeneration and collagen III/IV deposition relative to the anatomy of the control side. Regenerated nerve showed almost similar collagen type III/IV distribution patterns as compared with the nonoperated control side, although the delineation of matrix was clearer in the control side. The relative amount of collagen III and IV immunostaining in nerve cross-sections did not, however, differ between the control nerve tissue and the operated side after 16 months. After 16 months of implantation, however, some very small fragments of biomaterial could still be found on the edge of the epineurium of the regenerated nerve, indicating remnants of a secondary foreign body reaction. The biomaterial fragments and foreign body reaction did not influence the nerve regeneration process after 16 months. Biodegradable poly(DLLA-epsilon-CL) nerve guides are useful for long-term bridging of short peripheral nerve gaps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands. k.jansen@med.rug.nl
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Marcel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.forename: John F A
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: van der Werff
authors.forename: Pauline B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: van Wachem
authors.forename: Marja J A
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Luyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002208:Caproates; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007783:Lactones; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D011091:Polyesters; D051381:Rats; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002208:Caproates; D024061:Collagen Type III; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D007783:Lactones; D011091:Polyesters; C033616:poly(lactide); C121056:caprolactone