title: Repairing rat sciatic nerve injury by a nerve-growth-factor-loaded, chitosan-based nerve conduit.
abstract: We have developed a nerve conduit made up of chitosan, on which nerve growth factor (NGF) was immobilized via genipin cross-linking. The nerve conduit was used to bridge a 10-mm-long sciatic nerve gap in rats. At 24 weeks after surgery, electrophysiological assessment, behavioral analysis, and histological examination were conducted to evaluate the outcomes of peripheral nerve repair. The nerve conduit allowed nerve reconstruction between two stumps and reinnervation of the target gastrocnemius muscle. For two groups of rats repaired respectively by the nerve conduit and autologous nerve graft, the density of regenerated axons was 3.55 ± 0.51 and 3.91 ± 0.14 (P = 0.712), and the cross-sectional area of target muscles was 1,159.68 ± 305.85 and 1,307.06 ± 301.25 (P = 0.922), respectively, without significant differences between the two groups. Our data suggest the feasibility of using chitosan-based, NGF-loaded nerve conduits for peripheral nerve repair.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongkui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Weijia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaosong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Yumin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000378:metabolism*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D048271:Chitosan; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor