title: Reconstruction of the abdominal vagus nerve using sural nerve grafts in canine models.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, vagus nerve preservation or reconstruction of vagus has received increasing attention. The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of reconstructing the severed vagal trunk using an autologous sural nerve graft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten adult Beagle dogs were randomly assigned to two groups of five, the nerve grafting group (TG) and the vagal resection group (VG). The gastric secretion and emptying functions in both groups were assessed using Hollander insulin and acetaminophen tests before surgery and three months after surgery. All dogs underwent laparotomy under general anesthesia. In TG group, latency and conduction velocity of the action potential in a vagal trunk were measured, and then nerves of 4 cm long were cut from the abdominal anterior and posterior vagal trunks. Two segments of autologous sural nerve were collected for performing end-to-end anastomoses with the cut ends of vagal trunk (8-0 nylon suture, 3 sutures for each anastomosis). Dogs in VG group only underwent partial resections of the anterior and posterior vagal trunks. Laparotomy was performed in dogs of TG group, and latency and conduction velocity of the action potential in their vagal trunks were measured. The grafted nerve segment was removed, and stained with anti-neurofilament protein and toluidine blue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latency of the action potential in the vagal trunk was longer after surgery than before surgery in TG group, while the conduction velocity was lower after surgery. The gastric secretion and emptying functions were weaker after surgery in dogs of both groups, but in TG group they were significantly better than in VG group. Anti-neurofilament protein staining and toluidine blue staining showed there were nerve fibers crossing the anastomosis of the vagus and sural nerves in dogs of TG group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reconstruction of the vagus nerve using the sural nerve is technically feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D019737:Transplants; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*
references.citation: J Urol. 2003 Aug;170(2 Pt 2):S31-4; discussion S34
references.pmid: 12853770
references.citation: J Gastrointest Surg. 2009 May;13(5):886-9
references.pmid: 19219514
references.citation: World J Urol. 2007 Apr;25(2):143-8
references.pmid: 17340159
references.citation: Can J Urol. 2008 Apr;15(2):3990-3
references.pmid: 18405447
references.citation: Hepatogastroenterology. 2010 Jul-Aug;57(101):984-8
references.pmid: 21033264
references.citation: Eur Urol. 2009 May;55(5):1135-43
references.pmid: 18783876
references.citation: Surg Today. 1997;27(8):741-4
references.pmid: 9306590
references.citation: Hepatogastroenterology. 2003 Nov-Dec;50(54):2246-50
references.pmid: 14696509
references.citation: Am J Surg. 2002 Jun;183(6):692-6
references.pmid: 12095603
references.citation: BJU Int. 2005 Jun;95(9):1267-71
references.pmid: 15892814
references.citation: Biomed Chromatogr. 2011 Jul;25(7):760-6
references.pmid: 20878659
references.citation: Atlas Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2011 Mar;19(1):91-107
references.pmid: 21277503
references.citation: ANZ J Surg. 2008 Mar;78(3):172-6
references.pmid: 18269482
references.citation: Urology. 2006 Dec;68(6):1290-4
references.pmid: 17141842
references.citation: Ann Surg. 2008 Jun;247(6):976-86
references.pmid: 18520225