title: Pre-implanted Sensory Nerve Could Enhance the Neurotization in Tissue-Engineered Bone Graft.
abstract: In our previous study, it was found that implanting the sensory nerve tract into the tissue-engineered bone to repair large bone defects can significantly result in better osteogenesis effect than tissue-engineered bone graft (TEBG) alone. To study the behavior of the preimplanted sensory nerve in the TEBG, the TEBG was constructed by seeding bone mesenchymal stem cells into β-tricalcium phosphate scaffold with (treatment group) or without (blank group) implantation of the sensory nerve. The expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which helps in the healing of bone defect in the treatment group was significantly higher than the blank group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), which might be expressed during nerve healing in the treatment group, was significantly higher than the blank group at 4 and 8 weeks. The nerve tracts of the preimplanted sensory nerve were found in the scaffold by the nerve tracing technique. The implanted sensory nerve tracts grew into the pores of scaffolds much earlier than the vascular. The implanted sensory nerve tracts traced by Dil could be observed at 4 weeks, but at the same time, no vascular was observed. In conclusion, the TEBG could be benefited from the preimplanted sensory nerve through the healing behavior of the sensory nerve. The sensory nerve fibers could grow into the pores of the TEBG rapidly, and increase the expression of CGRP, which is helpful in regulating the bone formation and the blood flow.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Orthopedics, The Hospital of Liaoyuan Mining Industry (Group)Limited Company , Liaoyuan, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guoxian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D019922:GAP-43 Protein