[Effect of tetramethylpyrazine added to vitrification solution on peripheral nerve allografts regeneration].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) with a certain concentration added to vitrification solution on peripheral nerve allografts regeneration.


METHODS
Forty-eight healthy clean SD male rats were selected as donors, and 96 healthy clean Wistar male rats as recipients, all rats being 3 months old and weighing 200-250 g. The sciatic nerves segments of 15 mm were removed from the donors, then randomly divided into 4 groups according to vitrification solution containing TMP. No TMP was used in group A as the control group; 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L and 400 mg/L TMP were used in group B, group C and group D, respectively. Then them were cryo-preserved at -196 degrees C for 3 weeks. Nerve defect of 10 mm in length was made in the sciatic nerves of recipients. After rewarming, the allografts were transplanted to the corresponding rats. The gross appearance, the morphological and electrophysiological changes, the image analysis of axons and motor end-plate were detected at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks.


RESULTS
All rates survived to the end of the experiment. The adhesion and edema of allografts in group A and group B were obvious 4 weeks after operation; then adhesion and edema was obvious in group A and were improved in the other groups 8 weeks after operation. Adhesion was observed in groups A and B; no adhesion was observed in groups C and D at 12 weeks. The number of regeneration nerve, the latent, the amplitude, the nerve conduction velocity, the medullary sheath/microm2, the medullary sheath density/microm2 and the image analysis of axons and motor end-plate in groups A and B were significantly lower than those in groups C and D (P < 0.01); and there were no significant differences between groups C and D (P > 0.05). The observation of transmission electron microscope showed that medullated nerve fibers and myelin sheath of groups C and D were thicker than groups A and B, layers of groups C and D were clear.


CONCLUSIONS
The vitrification solution with 200 mg/L tetramethylpyrazine has protective effect on regeneration of peripheral nerve allografts.
Chen
Zenggang
Z
Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, P.R. China.
Jiang
Dianming
D
Ou
Yunsheng
Y
Huang
Yingru
Y
Yuan
Xin
X
Liu
Jianwen
J
D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D011719:Pyrazines; C017953:tetramethylpyrazine