title: Effect of surface pore structure of nerve guide conduit on peripheral nerve regeneration.
abstract: Polycaprolactone (PCL)/Pluronic F127 nerve guide conduits (NGCs) with different surface pore structures (nano-porous inner surface vs. micro-porous inner surface) but similar physical and chemical properties were fabricated by rolling the opposite side of asymmetrically porous PCL/F127 membranes. The effect of the pore structure on peripheral nerve regeneration through the NGCs was investigated using a sciatic nerve defect model of rats. The nerve fibers and tissues were shown to have regenerated along the longitudinal direction through the NGC with a nano-porous inner surface (Nanopore NGC), while they grew toward the porous wall of the NGC with a micro-porous inner surface (Micropore NGC) and, thus, their growth was restricted when compared with the Nanopore NGC, as investigated by immunohistochemical evaluations (by fluorescence microscopy with anti-neurofilament staining and Hoechst staining for growth pattern of nerve fibers), histological evaluations (by light microscopy with Meyer's modified trichrome staining and Toluidine blue staining and transmission electron microscopy for the regeneration of axon and myelin sheath), and FluoroGold retrograde tracing (for reconnection between proximal and distal stumps). The effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) immobilized on the pore surfaces of the NGCs on nerve regeneration was not so significant when compared with NGCs not containing immobilized NGF. The NGC system with different surface pore structures but the same chemical/physical properties seems to be a good tool that is used for elucidating the surface pore effect of NGCs on nerve regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Materials, Hannam University, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Se Heang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jin Rae
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gu Birm
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Uk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Namgung
authors.forename: Kyu Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004343:Drug Implants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016062:Porosity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013499:Surface Properties; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor