title: Dog tibial nerve regeneration across a 30-mm defect bridged by a PRGD/PDLLA/β-TCP/NGF sustained-release conduit.
abstract: Nerve conduits have emerged as alternatives to autologous nerve grafts, but their use in large-diameter, critical nerve repairs is limited. In the previous study, we prepared a PRGD/PDLLA/β-TCP/NGF sustained-release nerve conduit, which was made of RGD peptide modified poly{(lactic acid)-co-[(glycolic acid)-alt-(L-lysine)]} (PRGD), poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PDLLA), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Here we attempted to use the PRGD/PDLLA/β-TCP/NGF sustained-release nerve conduit to bridge a 30-mm dog tibial nerve defect in six beagles. The other beagles were divided into group autograft (n = 6) as positive control and group PDLLA (n = 6) as negative control. After 9 months of implantation, nerve conduction velocities, the density of myelinated fibers, the mean diameter of axon, and the average thickness of myelin sheath in tibial nerves bridged with PRGD/PDLLA/β-TCP/NGF sustained-release nerve conduits were similar to those treated with autologous nerve (p > 0.05). Neither electrophysiological nor histological restoration was obtained in group PDLLA. Evidence is thus provided in support of the use of PRGD/PDLLA/β-TCP/NGF sustained-release nerve conduits as alternatives to autologous nerve grafts for treatment of large-diameter, critical defects in peripheral nerves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jifeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Qiongjiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shipu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lantang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xianhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D008239:Lysine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D011091:Polyesters; C466993:poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-grafted-poly(L-lysine); D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D008239:Lysine