Chitosan-film associated with mesenchymal stem cells enhanced regeneration of peripheral nerves: A rat sciatic nerve model.
OBJECTIVE
Peripheral nerve injuries comprise significant portion of the nervous system injuries. Although peripheral nerves show some capacity of regeneration after injury, but the extent of regeneration is not remarkable. Regeneration might be through the activity of the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) which can release growth factors or extracellular matrix components or by the therapeutic effect of some material with the MSCs. The present study aimed to evaluate the regeneration of transected sciatic nerve by a therapeutic value of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) associated with chitosan-film (Cs) in rat.


MATERIALS & METHODS
Male Wistar rats (n=42, 180-200g) were randomly divided into intact; control; sham; Cs; MSCs; MSCs + Cs groups. Functional recovery was evaluated at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after surgery using sciatic functional index (SFI), hot water paw immersion test, electrophysiological, histological analyses.


RESULTS
The rats in the MSCs+Cs group showed significant decrease in SFI and hot water paw immersion test during the 2nd to 8th weeks after surgery. Electrophysiological findings showed a significant decrease in latency time in the MSCs +Cs group. Amplitude of the nerve impulses also increased. Number of nerve fibers with more than 6 μm diameters increased significantly in MSCs+Cs. The number of nerve fibers with less than 4 μm diameters also increased significantly in MSCs+Cs group.


CONCLUSION
Taken together, mesenchymal stem cells associated with Cs could improve functional and histomorphological properties of the sciatic nerve after injury which may have some clinical outcomes as well.
['Moattari|Mehrnaz|M|', 'Kouchesfehani|Homa Mohseni|HM|', 'Kaka|Gholamreza|G|', 'Sadraie|Seyed Homayoon|SH|', 'Naghdi|Majid|M|', 'Mansouri|Korosh|K|']
D000818:Animals D048271:Chitosan D004195:Disease Models, Animal D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration D006801:Humans D008297:Male D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation D009416:Nerve Regeneration D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries D051381:Rats D017208:Rats, Wistar D012584:Sciatic Nerve D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
Mesenchymal stem cells Rat Sciatic nerve Chitosan Repair