Evaluation of two biodegradable nerve guides for the reconstruction of the rat sciatic nerve

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Luis, Ana L.^; | Rodrigues, Jorge M.^; | Lobato, José V.^{; ;} | Lopes, Maria A. | Amado, Sandra | Veloso, António P. | Armada-da-Silva, Paulo A.S. | Raimondo, Stefania | Geuna, Stefano | Ferreira, António J. | Varejão, Artur S.P. | Santos, José D. | Maurício, Ana C.^{; ;}

Affiliations: Centro de Estudos de Ciência Animal (CECA)/Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologias Agrárias e Agro-Alimentares (ICETA), Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485 – 661 Vairão, Portugal | Departamento de Clínicas Veterinárias, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 2, 4099 – 003 Porto, Portugal | Faculdade de Motricidade Humana (FMH), Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (UTL), Estrada da Costa, Cruz Quebrada, 1495 – 688 Cruz Quebrada, Dafundo, Portugal | Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200 – 465 Porto, Portugal | Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università di Torino, c/o Ospedale San Luigi, Regione Gonzole 10, Orbassano (TO), 10043 Torino, Italy | Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMV), Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (UTL), Av. da Universidade Técnica, 1300 – 477 Lisboa, Portugal | Departamento de Estomatologia, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia (CHVNG), Rua Conceição Fernandes, 4434 – 502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal | Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, CETAV, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), P.O. Box 1013, 5001 – 911 Vila Real, Portugal

Note: [] Corresponding author: Ana C. Maurício, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485 – 661 Vairão, Portugal. Tel.: +351 252 660412; Fax: +351 252 661780; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test in vivo two different nerve guides, one of PLGA made of a novel proportion (90:10) of the two polymers, Poly(L-lactide):Poly(glycolide), with (DL-lactide-ε-caprolactone) copolyester (Neurolac®) tube, in promoting nerve regeneration across a 10 mm-gap of the rat sciatic nerve. Finally, end-to-end coaptation was performed. Motor and sensory functional recovery was assessed throughout the healing period of 20 weeks and the repaired nerves were processed for morphological analysis. Both motor and sensory functions improved significantly in all experimental nerve repair groups, although the rate and extent of recovery was significantly higher in the end-to-end group. No significant differences were detected in the comparison between the two types of tubes. Compatible with results of functional tests, morphological analysis showed that axon regeneration occurred in both PLGA and Neurolac® experimental groups but disclosed a different pattern of degradation of the two types of tubes with larger biodegradation of PLGA material by the end of 20 weeks. These results suggest that both types of biomaterial are a good substrate for preparing tubular nerve guides and the different pattern of degradation does not seem to influence the degree of nerve regeneration.

Keywords: Nerve entubulation, PLGA, caprolactone, sciatic nerve, rat

Journal: Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 39-52, 2007