title: Novel heparin/alginate gel combined with basic fibroblast growth factor promotes nerve regeneration in rat sciatic nerve.
abstract: We have developed an alginate gel crosslinked with covalent bonds for regeneration of dermis, nerve, and bone. Recently, a novel matrix (H/A gel) which consists of heparin and alginate covalently crosslinked with ethylenediamine, was designed. It can stabilize and release biologically active basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for 1 month, which is one of the heparin-binding growth factors. In the present report, we examined the effect of this novel H/A gel on nerve regeneration in the rat sciatic nerve. In this study, regenerated axons in H/A gel with bFGF grew faster than in ordinary alginate gel with bFGF in the early stage. Myelinated fibers showed a tendency to increase in diameter toward the normal size in the later stage. Nerve bundles in the implantation exhibited minimal fibrosis and good vascularization. H/A gel with bFGF exhibited better-developed vascularization than ordinary alginate gel with bFGF. These findings suggested that H/A gel with bFGF could serve not only as an efficient cellular scaffold, but also as a stabilizing matrix for bFGF for peripheral nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. emp-ota@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hirotomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Namiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Shigehiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanihara
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizushima
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dezawa
authors.forename: Chizuka
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ide
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D000925:Anticoagulants; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D006493:Heparin