[Construction of artificial nerve bridge by three-dimensional culture of Schwann cells with human hair keratins].
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.
Yang
Jun
J
Institute of Clinical Anatomy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. yangjun1267@sina.com
Liu
Wei
W
Yu
Lei
L
Qiu
Xiao-zhong
XZ
Jiao
Pei-feng
PF
Hu
Lian-mei
LM
Wu
Lei
L
Piao
Ying-jie
YJ
Zhong
Shi-zhen
SZ
Qin
Jian-qiang
JQ
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
D007633:Keratins