Polyurethane/Gelatin Nanofibrils Neural Guidance Conduit Containing Platelet-Rich Plasma and Melatonin for Transplantation of Schwann Cells.

Abstract

The current study aimed to enhance the efficacy of peripheral nerve regeneration using a biodegradable porous neural guidance conduit as a carrier to transplant allogeneic Schwann cells (SCs). The conduit was prepared from polyurethane (PU) and gelatin nanofibrils (GNFs) using thermally induced phase separation technique and filled with melatonin (MLT) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The prepared conduit had the porosity of 87.17 ± 1.89%, the contact angle of 78.17 ± 5.30° and the ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus of 5.40 ± 0.98 MPa and 3.13 ± 0.65 GPa, respectively. The conduit lost about 14% of its weight after 60 days in distilled water. The produced conduit enhanced the proliferation of SCs demonstrated by a tetrazolium salt-based assay. For functional analysis, the conduit was seeded with 1.50 × 104 SCs (PU/GNFs/PRP/MLT/SCs) and implanted into a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect of Wistar rat. Three control groups were used: (1) PU/GNFs/SCs, (2) PU/GNFs/PRP/SCs, and (3) Autograft. The results of sciatic functional index, hot plate latency, compound muscle action potential amplitude and latency, weight-loss percentage of wet gastrocnemius muscle and histopathological examination using hematoxylin-eosin and Luxol fast blue staining, demonstrated that using the PU/GNFs/PRP/MLT conduit to transplant SCs to the sciatic nerve defect resulted in a higher regenerative outcome than the PU/GNFs and PU/GNFs/PRP conduits.

• Authors: Majid Salehi, Mahdi Naseri-Nosar, Somayeh Ebrahimi-Barough, Mohammdreza Nourani, Arash Khojasteh, Saeed Farzamfar, Korosh Mansouri, Jafar Ai
• Journal: Cellular and molecular neurobiology (Cell Mol Neurobiol) Vol. 38 Issue 3 Pg. 703-713 (Apr 2018) ISSN: 1573-6830 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28823058 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Polyurethanes
• Gelatin
• Melatonin

Topics

• Animals
• Axon Guidance (drug effects)
• Gelatin (pharmacology)
• Melatonin (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Nerve Regeneration (drug effects)
• Platelet-Rich Plasma (drug effects)
• Polyurethanes (pharmacology)
• Rats, Wistar
• Schwann Cells (cytology, drug effects)
• Sciatic Nerve (drug effects, pathology)