Chitosan tubes enriched with fresh skeletal muscle fibers for delayed repair of peripheral nerve defects

作     者：AlessANDro Crosio Benedetta Elena Fornasari Giovanna Gambarotta Stefano Geuna Stefania Raimondo Bruno Battiston Pierluigi Tos Giulia Ronchi 

作者机构：Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology II-Surgery for Hand and Upper Limb-AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino-CTO Hospital Department of Clinical and Biological SciencesUniversity of Torino Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri OttolenghiUniversity of Torino UO Microchirurgia e Chirurgia della ManoOspedale Gaetano Pini 

出 版 物：《Neural Regeneration Research》 (中国神经再生研究（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2019年第14卷第6期

页      面：1079-1084页

核心收录：

学科分类：1002[医学-临床医学] 1001[医学-基础医学(可授医学、理学学位)] 100104[医学-病理学与病理生理学] 100204[医学-神经病学] 10[医学] 

基　　金：supported by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme(FP7-HEALTH-2011),No.278612(to SG) by Compagnia di San Paolo,No.D86D15000100005 InTheCure project(to SR) 

主　　题：tubulization Schwann cells scaffold tissue engineering nerve reconstruction morphometrical analyses grasping test secondary repair median nerve nerve regeneration 

摘      要：Nerve regeneration after delayed nerve repair is often unsuccessful. Indeed, the expression of genes associated with regeneration, including neurotrophic and gliotrophic factors, is drastically reduced in the distal stump of chronically transected nerves; moreover, Schwann cells undergo atrophy, losing their ability to sustain regeneration. In the present study, to provide a three-dimensional environment and trophic factors supporting Schwann cell activity and axon re-growth, we combined the use of an effective conduit(a chitosan tube) with a promising intraluminal structure(fresh longitudinal skeletal muscle fibers). This enriched conduit was used to repair a 10-mm rat median nerve gap after 3-month delay and functional and morphometrical analyses were performed 4 months after nerve reconstruction. Our data show that the enriched chitosan conduit is as effective as the hollow chitosan conduit in promoting nerve regeneration,and its efficacy is not statistically different from the autograft, considered the gold standard technique for nerve reconstruction. Since hollow tubes not always lead to good results after long defects( 20 mm), we believe that the conduit enriched with fresh muscle fibers could be a promising strategy to repair longer gaps, as muscle fibers create a favorable three-dimensional environment and release trophic factors. All procedures were approved by the Bioethical Committee of the University of Torino and by the Italian Ministry of Health(approval number: 864/2016/PR) on September 14, 2016.