title: Pluripotent hair follicle neural crest stem-cell-derived neurons and schwann cells functionally repair sciatic nerves in rats.
abstract: In this paper, we constructed a novel acellular nerve xenograft (ANX) seeded with neurons and Schwann cells to bridge long-distance gaps in rat sciatic nerves. The neurons and Schwann cells were induced from Sprague Dawley (SD) rat hair follicle neural crest stem cells with sonic hedgehog/retinoic acid and neuregulin 1, respectively. Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 25): ANX + cells group and ANX group. A 4-cm-long sciatic nerve defect was created on the right hind limb and bridged with cell-seeded ANX in ANX + cells group or ANX alone in ANX group. We found that the implanted neurons and Schwann cells could survive by 4 weeks and as far as 52 weeks posttransplantation. In implanted grafts, chemical synaptic structures were also found under transmission electron microscope and confirmed with immunostaining of synapsin 1, a synaptic marker. The number of regenerated axons in ANX + cells group was higher than that in ANX group (P < 0.01). This novel implantation of neurons and Schwann cells via acellular nerve graft may provide an alternative way for repairing peripheral nerve defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Second Military Medical University, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chuansen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Congli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zhengdong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004594:Electrophysiology; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*