Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2010 Oct;95(1):207-17. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.31705.
To modulate the mechanical properties of nerve guide conduit for surgical manipulation, this study develops a biodegradable composite containing genipin cross-linked gelatin annexed with β-tricalcium phosphate ceramic particles as a nerve guide material. The conduit was dark bluish and round with a rough and compact outer surface compared to the genipin cross-linked gelatin conduit (without β-tricalcium phosphate). Water uptake and swelling tests indicate that the conduit noticeably increases the stability in water, and the hydrated conduit does not collapse and stenose. The conduit has a sufficiently high level of mechanical properties to serve as a nerve guide. After subcutaneous implantation on the dorsal side of a rat, the degraded conduit only evokes a mild tissue response, and the formation of a very thin fibrous capsule surrounds the conduit. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the conduit as a guidance channel when we use it to repair a 10 mm gap in the rat's sciatic nerve. The experimental results show no gross inflammatory reactions of the peripheral nerve tissues at the implantation site in either group. In overall gross examination, the diameter of the intratubular and newly formed nerve fibers in the conduits exceeds that of the silicone tubes during the implantation period. The quantitative results indicate the superiority of the conduits over the silicone tubes. This study microscopically observes the nerve regeneration in the tissue section at the middle region of all implanted conduits. Therefore, the histomorphometric assessment demonstrates that the conduit could be a candidate for peripheral nerve repair.
为了调节神经导管的力学性能以满足手术操作的需要，本研究开发了一种包含京尼平交联明胶和β-磷酸三钙陶瓷颗粒的可生物降解复合材料作为神经导管材料。与京尼平交联明胶导管（不含β-磷酸三钙）相比，该导管呈深蓝色且为圆形，其外表面粗糙且致密。吸水率和溶胀试验表明，与京尼平交联明胶导管相比，该导管在水中的稳定性明显提高，水合后的导管不会塌陷和狭窄。该导管具有足够高的力学性能，可以用作神经导管。将其植入大鼠背部皮下后，降解后的导管仅引起轻微的组织反应，且仅在导管周围形成非常薄的纤维囊。本文评估了该导管作为引导通道的有效性，我们使用该导管修复大鼠坐骨神经 10mm 的缺损。实验结果显示，两组在植入部位的周围神经组织均无明显的炎症反应。在大体检查中，在植入期间，导管内和新形成的神经纤维的直径均超过硅胶管。定量结果表明，该导管优于硅胶管。本研究在所有植入导管的组织切片的中间区域对神经再生进行了显微镜观察。因此，组织形态计量评估表明该导管可能是周围神经修复的候选材料。
