title: Electrical stimulation does not enhance nerve regeneration if delayed after sciatic nerve injury: the role of fibrosis.
abstract: Electrical stimulation has been shown to accelerate and enhance nerve regeneration in sensory and motor neurons after injury, but there is little evidence that focuses on the varying degrees of fibrosis in the delayed repair of peripheral nerve tissue. In this study, a rat model of sciatic nerve transection injury was repaired with a biodegradable conduit at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 2 months after injury, when the rats were divided into two subgroups. In the experimental group, rats were treated with electrical stimuli of frequency of 20 Hz, pulse width 100 ms and direct current voltage of 3 V; while rats in the control group received no electrical stimulation after the conduit operation. Histological results showed that stained collagen fibers comprised less than 20% of the total operated area in the two groups after delayed repair at both 1 day and 1 week but after longer delays, the collagen fiber area increased with the time after injury. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the expression level of transforming growth factor β (an indicator of tissue fibrosis) decreased at both 1 day and 1 week after delayed repair but increased at both 1 and 2 months after delayed repair. These findings indicate that if the biodegradable conduit repair combined with electrical stimulation is delayed, it results in a poor outcome following sciatic nerve injury. One month after injury, tissue degeneration and distal fibrosis are apparent and are probably the main reason why electrical stimulation fails to promote nerve regeneration after delayed repair.
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Han
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Chun-Gui
authors: CG
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Tian-Bing
authors: TB
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Yu-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Kou
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Xiao-Feng
authors: XF
authors: Yin
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Pei-Xun
authors: PX
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Trauma and Orthopedics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Xue
keywords: Masson staining; NSFC grants; bioabsorbable conduit; collagen fibers; delayed repair; electrical stimulation; fibroblast; immunohistochemistry; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neuroprotection; peripheral nerve injury; transforming growth factor β