title: Rapid identification of spinal ventral and dorsal roots using a quartz crystal microbalance.
abstract: The fast and accurate identification of nerve tracts is critical for successful nerve anastomosis. Taking advantage of differences in acetylcholinesterase content between the spinal ventral and dorsal roots, we developed a novel quartz crystal microbalance method to distinguish between these nerves based on acetylcholinesterase antibody reactivity. The acetylcholinesterase antibody was immobilized on the electrode surface of a quartz crystal microbalance and reacted with the acetylcholinesterase in sample solution. The formed antigen and antibody complexes added to the mass of the electrode inducing a change in frequency of the electrode. The spinal ventral and dorsal roots were distinguished by the change in frequency. The ventral and dorsal roots were cut into 1 to 2-mm long segments and then soaked in 250 μL PBS. Acetylcholinesterase antibody was immobilized on the quartz crystal microbalance gold electrode surface. The results revealed that in 10 minutes, both spinal ventral and dorsal roots induced a frequency change; however, the frequency change induced by the ventral roots was notably higher than that induced by the dorsal roots. No change was induced by bovine serum albumin or PBS. These results clearly demonstrate that a quartz crystal microbalance sensor can be used as a rapid, highly sensitive and accurate detection tool for the quick identification of spinal nerve roots intraoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Que
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Dechao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Daode
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: acetylcholinesterase; anastomosis; antigen-antibody reaction; basic research; biosensor; grants-supported paper; identification; nerve repair; nerve tract; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; peripheral nerve injury; quartz crystal microbalance; spinal nerve