Transplantation of cultured Schwann cells to teased tendon grafts and acellular muscle grafts improves nerve regeneration

Transplantation of cultured Schwann cells to teased tendon grafts and acellular muscle grafts improves nerve regeneration

Field: Development and regeneration

Authors: Nishiura Yasumasa
Kanje Martin
Lundborg Goran
Brandt Jerker
Dahlin Lars B

Address of presenting
author: Dept. of Hand Surg. , Malmo University Hospital, S-205 02 Malmo, and Dept. of Animal Physiology, Helgonav. 3B, S-223 62 Lund, Sweden

E-mail: Yasumasa.Nishiura@hand.mas.lu.se

Phone: 46-40-33 20 78

Fax: 46-40-33 62 07

Text of abstract: Efforts have been made to create alternatives to peripheral nerve grafts in order to bridge gaps between severed nerve ends. Most of these alternatives lack living Schwann cells and therefore the regeneration process is markedly impaired in such grafts.Two of the alternatives -teased tendon autografts and acellular muscle grafts- were colonised with cultured Schwann cells and used as alternatives to nerve grafts to reconstruct defects in rat sciatic nerves. Pieces of rat tail tendon were teased into membranes (15x10 mm). Approximately 2.8 x10⁵ cultured Schwann cells were poured on each of the tendon membranes and cultured for three days. Other tendon membranes were cultured in the medium as controls. In a separate series of experiments, acellular muscle pieces were made by freeze-thawing and 10x10⁶ Schwann cells per ml were injected into the muscle piece (2x2x10 mm). Other acellular muscle pieces, immersed in medium, were used as controls. Sciatic nerve defects were created at midthigh level and the gap was bridged by various grafts. On one side a tendon autograft or a muscle graft with cultured Schwann cells was used to bridge a 10 mm gap. On the contralateral side an acellular tendon autograft or muscle graft was used to bridge such a control side. Specimens were harvested 7-14 days postoperatively and examined with immunocytochemistry for Schwann cells and axons. The regeneration distances of axons were longer in both the tendon autograft and muscle graft with cultured Schwann cells compared to the acellular grafts. The initial delay period seemed to be shorter and the regeneration rates were higher as compared to controls. Transplantation of cultured Schwann cells to tendon and muscle grafts may be a good alternative in the future to improve nerve regeneration in such grafts.

Keywords: nerve regeneration, tendon, muscle, Schwann cell, culture

	Transplantation of cultured Schwann cells to teased tendon grafts and acellular muscle grafts improves nerve regeneration
Field:	Development and regeneration
Authors:	Nishiura Yasumasa Kanje Martin Lundborg Goran Brandt Jerker Dahlin Lars B
Address of presenting author:	Dept. of Hand Surg. , Malmo University Hospital, S-205 02 Malmo, and Dept. of Animal Physiology, Helgonav. 3B, S-223 62 Lund, Sweden
E-mail:	Yasumasa.Nishiura@hand.mas.lu.se
Phone:	46-40-33 20 78
Fax:	46-40-33 62 07
Text of abstract:	Efforts have been made to create alternatives to peripheral nerve grafts in order to bridge gaps between severed nerve ends. Most of these alternatives lack living Schwann cells and therefore the regeneration process is markedly impaired in such grafts.Two of the alternatives -teased tendon autografts and acellular muscle grafts- were colonised with cultured Schwann cells and used as alternatives to nerve grafts to reconstruct defects in rat sciatic nerves. Pieces of rat tail tendon were teased into membranes (15x10 mm). Approximately 2.8 x10⁵ cultured Schwann cells were poured on each of the tendon membranes and cultured for three days. Other tendon membranes were cultured in the medium as controls. In a separate series of experiments, acellular muscle pieces were made by freeze-thawing and 10x10⁶ Schwann cells per ml were injected into the muscle piece (2x2x10 mm). Other acellular muscle pieces, immersed in medium, were used as controls. Sciatic nerve defects were created at midthigh level and the gap was bridged by various grafts. On one side a tendon autograft or a muscle graft with cultured Schwann cells was used to bridge a 10 mm gap. On the contralateral side an acellular tendon autograft or muscle graft was used to bridge such a control side. Specimens were harvested 7-14 days postoperatively and examined with immunocytochemistry for Schwann cells and axons. The regeneration distances of axons were longer in both the tendon autograft and muscle graft with cultured Schwann cells compared to the acellular grafts. The initial delay period seemed to be shorter and the regeneration rates were higher as compared to controls. Transplantation of cultured Schwann cells to tendon and muscle grafts may be a good alternative in the future to improve nerve regeneration in such grafts.

Keywords:	nerve regeneration, tendon, muscle, Schwann cell, culture

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Created 2000-04-09

Department of Physiological Sciences, Lund University

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