Abstract:

BACKGROUND: There are various methods for repair sciatic nerve injury, however, the recovery of nerve function is not satisfactory due to complexity of sciatic nerve anatomy and function.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects on functional outcome of the injured sciatic nerve using exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mixed with fibrin glue as a carrier.
METHODS: The sciatic nerve injury model was made by cutting off the left sciatic nerve of Wistar rats and suturing in normal position. The successful model rats were randomly into two groups. Experimental group was injected with VEGF/fibrin glue complex via adventitia at the site of cutting off sciatic nerve. Control group was injected with VEGF165 plasmid. Sciatic-nerve function index, motor nerve conduction velocity and gross appearance were performed at 4, 8, 12 weeks after medication.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The primary healing of wound was found in animals of two groups. At 1 week after treatment, 6 rats of the experimental group appeared foot ulcers and muscle atrophy; five rats of the control group showed foot ulcers. In the experimental group, fibrin gel almost absorbed at 4 weeks, completely absorbed at 8 weeks, normal nerve appearance was found at 12 weeks. In the control group, nerve showed mild congestion and edema at 4 weeks, the edema disappeared and the nerve slightly adhered on surrounding tissues at 8 weeks, the scars formed surrounding nerves at 12 weeks. At 4 and 8 weeks in the experimental group, nerve function index and nerve conduction velocity were lower than the control group (P < 0.05), with no statistical difference at 12 weeks (P > 0.05). These results indicate that fibrin glue can be used as a carrier for VEGF, fibrin glue carrying VEGF can enhance neurological structural and functional recovery of the injured nerve.