title: Value of a novel PGA-collagen tube on recurrent laryngeal nerve regeneration in a rat model.
abstract: Nerbridge (Toyobo Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan) is a novel polyglycolic acid (PGA) tube that is filled with collagen fibers and that facilitates nerve fiber expansion and blood vessel growth. It is biocompatible and commercially available, with governmental approval for practical use in Japan. We hypothesized that the PGA-collagen tube would promote regeneration of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). This hypothesis was examined in a rat axotomy model of the RLN.
  
  
  
  Prospective animal study.
  
  
  
  The axotomy model was established by transection of the left RLN in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The cut ends of the nerve were bridged using Nerbridge (Toyobo Co., Ltd.) with a 1-mm gap (tube-treatment group) or direct sutures (sutured-control group). Left vocal fold mobility, nerve conduction velocity, morphology, and histology were assessed after 15 weeks.
  
  
  
  Fifteen weeks after treatment, nerve fiber connections were observed macroscopically in both groups, and more clear myelinated fibers and better prevention of laryngeal muscle atrophy were observed in the tube-treatment group compared with the sutured-control group. However, vocal fold movement recovery was not observed in either group, and the conduction velocity of the RLN did not differ between the two groups.
  
  
  
  Better nerve regeneration was observed in the tube-treatment group. The combination therapy with molecular or gene therapy might be an effective strategy to improve vocal fold movement. The PGA-collagen tube has the potential to promote regeneration of the RLN and to be a scaffold for drug administration in these combination therapies.
  
  
  
  N/A. Laryngoscope, 126:E233-E239, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomifuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiotani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000517:prevention & control; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D003094:Collagen
keywords: PGA-collagen tube; Recurrent laryngeal nerve; nerve regeneration; regeneration scaffold; suture