Directed neurite growth of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons and increased colocalization with Schwann cells on aligned poly(methyl methacrylate) electrospun nanofibers.
Electrospun nanofibers are promising scaffolds for peripheral and central nervous system repair. The aim of this study was to examine the details of neurite growth of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGn) on randomly oriented and aligned poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers and the relationship between neurites and nanofibers on each substrate. Our substrate design involved electrospinning PMMA nanofibers directly onto bare glass coverslips with acceptable biocompatibility. We cocultured DRGn and Schwann cells on PMMA nanofibers and evaluated their response to each substrate. Compared with neurons cultured on PMMA film and randomly oriented nanofibers, DRGn on aligned PMMA nanofibers formed longer, parallel neurites in accordance with the orientation of the substrate nanofibers, although the average neurite number did not differ among the three groups. Regarding the relationship between neurites and nanofibers, the neurites of DRGn were in close contact with the substrate nanofibers, and the neurites seemed to follow aligned nanofibers more than randomly oriented nanofibers. Coculturing DRGn and Schwann cells on PMMA nanofibers revealed that on aligned nanofibers, neurites and Schwann cells had a higher chance of colocalization than on randomly oriented nanofibers or film; this colocalization may be beneficial during the process of myelination that follows. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the ability of aligned electrospun nanofibers to provide contact guidance to neural cells and strengthen the rationale for future in vivo studies.
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China.
Haijian
H
Xia
Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom.
Qiao
Q
Chen
Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom.
Yuanxing
Y
Fang
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Dan
D
Liu
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China.
Dong
D
Zhong
Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, China.
Haitao
H
Wu
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China.
Yongzhi
Y
Xia
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China.
Yi
Y
Yan
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China.
Wenyuan
W
Tang
Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Youyi Road 1, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China. Electronic address: xiaochuansun11@hotmail.com.
Xiaochuan
X
Sun
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D057139:Nanofibers; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate
Contact guidance; Electrospinning; Neural cell culture; Scaffold