Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The authors have done compound culture of cell-free nerve graft and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and successfully constructed tissue-engineered artificial nerves.
OBJECTIVE: Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) nerve retrograde tracer technique was used to evaluate protective effects on motor neurons following sciatic nerve defect bridging with neural transplantation complex constructed by cell-free nerve graft and BMSCs in rats.
METHODS: Adult clean healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) experimental group: rat sciatic nerve detect was bridged by cell-free nerve graft combined with BMSCs; (2) blank control group: rat sciatic nerve defect was bridged by cell-free nerve graft; (3) autologous nerve control group: rat sciatic nerve defect was bridged by autologous nerve transplantation. Regeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord anterior horn was assessed using HRP nerve retrograde tracer technique at 12 weeks following surgery.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Motor neuron regeneration in the spinal cord anterior horn at 12 weeks following surgery was better in the experimental group compared with cell-free nerve graft group. No significant difference was detected as compared with autologous nerve graft. These findings indicate that tissue-engineered artificial nerves constructed by cell-free nerve graft and BMSCs have protective effects on spinal cord motor neurons, and can obtain a similar effect to autologous neural transplantation in repair of rat sciatic nerve defect.