title: Improvement of peripheral nerve regeneration in acellular nerve grafts with local release of nerve growth factor.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of growth factors in peripheral nerve regeneration. A method was developed for sustained delivery of nerve growth factor (NGF) for nerve repair with acellular nerve grafts to augment peripheral nerve regeneration. NGF-containing polymeric microspheres were fixed with fibrin glue around chemically extracted acellular nerve grafts for prolonged, site-specific delivery of NGF. A total of 52 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups for treatment: autografting, NGF-treated acellular grafting, acellular grafting alone, and acellular grafting with fibrin glue. The model of a 10-mm sciatic nerve with a 10-mm gap was used to assess nerve regeneration. At the 2nd week after nerve repair, the length of axonal regeneration was longer with NGF-treated acellular grafting than acellular grafting alone and acellular grafting with fibrin glue, but shorter than autografting (P < 0.05). Sixteen weeks after nerve repair, nerve regeneration was assessed functionally and histomorphometrically. The percentage tension of the triceps surae muscles in the autograft group was 85.33 +/- 5.59%, significantly higher than that of NGF-treated group, acellular graft group and fibrin-glue group, at 69.79 +/- 5.31%, 64.46 +/- 8.48%, and 63.35 +/- 6.40%, respectively (P < 0.05). The ratio of conserved muscle-mass was greater in the NGF-treated group (53.73 +/- 4.56%) than in the acellular graft (46.37 +/- 5.68%) and fibrin glue groups (45.78 +/- 7.14%) but lower than in the autograft group (62.54 +/- 8.25%) (P < 0.05). Image analysis on histological observation revealed axonal diameter, axon number, and myelin thickness better with NGF-treated acellular grafting than with acellular grafting alone and acellular grafting with fibrin glue (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between NGF-treated acellular grafting and autografting. This method of sustained site-specific delivery of NGF can enhance peripheral nerve regeneration across short nerve gaps repaired with acellular nerve grafts.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of People's Liberation Army, Institute of Orthopedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Quanyi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shibi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor