title: Sciatic nerve regeneration in rats by a nerve conduit engineering with a membrane derived from natural latex.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the capacity of natural latex membrane to accelerate and improve the regeneration quality of the of rat sciatic nerves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male adult Wistar rats were used, anesthetized and operated to cut the sciatic nerve and receive an autograft or a conduit made with a membrane derived from natural latex (Hevea brasiliensis). Four or eight weeks after surgery, to investigate motor nerve recovery, we analyzed the neurological function by walking pattern (footprints analysis and computerized treadmill), electrophysiological evaluation and histological analysis of regenerated nerve (autologous nerve graft or tissue cables between the nerve stumps), and anterior tibial and gastrocnemius muscles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All functional and morphological analysis showed that the rats transplanted with latex conduit had a better neurological recovery than those operated with autologous nerve: quality of footprints, performance on treadmill (p<0.01), electrophysiological response (p<0.05), and quality of histological aspects on neural regeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data reported showed behavioral and functional recovery in rats implanted with latex conduit for sciatic nerve repair, supporting a complete morphological and physiological regeneration of the nerve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, USP, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Vinícius Muniz
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Ganga
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coutinho-Netto
authors.forename: Benedicto Oscar
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Colli
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marques Junior
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Rocha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Catalão
authors.forename: Ricardo Torres
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.forename: Marcos Roberto Pedron
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Oltramari
authors.forename: Kleber Tadeu
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: João-José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.forename: Luiza da Silva
authors.initials: Lda S
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007840:Latex / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007840:Latex