title: Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Enhance Axonal Regeneration through Cross-Facial Nerve Grafting in a Rat Model of Facial Paralysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cross-face nerve grafting combined with functional muscle transplantation has become the standard in reconstructing an emotionally controlled smile in complete irreversible facial palsy. However, the efficacy of this procedure depends on the ability of regenerating axons to breach two nerve coaptations and reinnervate endplates in denervated muscle. The current study tested the hypothesis that adipose-derived stem cells would enhance axonal regeneration through a cross-facial nerve graft and thereby enhance recovery of the facial nerve function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve rats underwent transection of the right facial nerve, and cross-facial nerve grafting using the sciatic nerve as an interpositional graft, with coaptations to the ipsilateral and contralateral buccal branches, was carried out. Rats were divided equally into two groups: a grafted but nontreated control group and a grafted and adipose-derived stem cell-treated group. Three months after surgery, biometric and electrophysiologic assessments of vibrissae movements were performed. Histologically, the spectra of fiber density, myelin sheath thickness, fiber diameter, and g ratio of the nerve were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for the evaluation of acetylcholine in the neuromuscular junctions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data from the biometric and electrophysiologic analysis of vibrissae movements, immunohistochemical analysis, and histologic assessment of the nerve showed that adipose-derived stem cells significantly enhanced axonal regeneration through the graft.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations suggest that adipose-derived stem cells could be a clinically translatable route toward new methods to enhance recovery after cross-facial nerve grafting.
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Ozan L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borman
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Çağri A
authors.initials: ÇA
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Zeynep B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Gönen
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Helvacioğlu
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Şebnem
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Ilhan
authors.affiliation: Kirşehir, Ankara, and Kayseri, Turkey.|From the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine; the Departments of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, Physiology, Histology and Embryology, and Biostatistics, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine; the Genome and Stem Cell Center, Stem Cell Unit, and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erciyes University, Faculty of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Ayşe C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Yazici
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*