Allotransplanted DRG neurons or Schwann cells affect functional recovery in a rodent model of sciatic nerve injury.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, the functional recoveries of Sprague-Dawley rats following repair of a complete sciatic nerve transection using allotransplanted dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons or Schwann cells were examined using a number of outcome measures.


METHODS
Four groups were compared: (1) repair with a nerve guide conduit seeded with allotransplanted Schwann cells harvested from Wistar rats, (2) repair with a nerve guide conduit seeded with DRG neurons, (3) repair with solely a nerve guide conduit, and (4) sham-surgery animals where the sciatic nerve was left intact. The results corroborated our previous reported histology findings and measures of immunogenicity.


RESULTS
The Wistar-DRG-treated group achieved the best recovery, significantly outperforming both the Wistar-Schwann group and the nerve guide conduit group in the Von Frey assay of touch response (P < 0.05). Additionally, Wistar-DRG and Wistar-Schwann seeded repairs showed lower frequency and severity in an autotomy measure of the self-mutilation of the injured leg because of neuralgia.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that in complete peripheral nerve transections, surgical repair using nerve guide conduits with allotransplanted DRG and Schwann cells may improve recovery, especially DRG neurons, which elicit less of an immune response.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Department of Pathology, University of Buffalo, NY, USA.
Samantha
S
Dayawansa
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Center for Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, NY, USA.
Ernest W
EW
Wang
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Center for Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, NY, USA.
Weimin
W
Liu
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Center for Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, NY, USA.
John D
JD
Markman
Center for Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, NY, USA.
Harris A
HA
Gelbard
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Center for Neural Development and Disease, University of Rochester, NY, USA.|Department of Neurosurgery, Scott & White Health System, Temple, TX, USA.
Jason H
JH
Huang
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
DRG cells,; Functional recovery; NG conduit tube,; Peripheral nerve injury repair,; Schwann cells,