title: [Construction of artificial nerve bridge by three-dimensional culture of Schwann cells with human hair keratins].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To culture Schwann cells (SCs) and human hair keratins (HHKs) for artificial nerve bridge construction.
  
  
  METHODS
  SCs were purified by primary culture and labeled with BrdU, which were then cultured with HHKs decorated by ECM. The artificial nerve bridge was implanted into the defect of sciatic nerve, beneath the skin, and in the skeletal muscles of SD rat, respectively. The morphology of the SCs cultured with HHKs was monitored by inverted microscope and evaluated by immunocytochemical staining. Growth of BrdU-labeled SCs in vivo was observed by immunocytochemical staining on paraffin sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vitro cultured SCs were capable of adhering to HHKs and grew well four weeks after implantation. The HHK component in the artificial nerve bridge underwent degradation in the defect of the sciatic nerve, beneath the skin, and in the skeletal muscles of SD rat, and SC survival and proliferation were verified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCs can survive in three-dimensional culture with HHKs for construction of artificial nerve bridge to repair nerve defects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Anatomy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. yangjun1267@sina.com
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiao-zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Pei-feng
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Lian-mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ying-jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Shi-zhen
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jian-qiang
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009417:Nerve Tissue; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins