Comparison of morphology and biocompatibility of acellular nerve scaffolds processed by different chemical methods.

To investigate the morphological differences among acellular rat nerve scaffolds processed by different chemical methods and compare the biocompatibility between rat nerve grafts processed by different chemical methods and rat adipose-derived stem cells in vitro. Acellular rat sciatic nerve scaffolds processed by two different chemical methods (the Sondell method and the optimized method) and normal rat sciatic nerves were used as control. The structure and components of nerve scaffold were observed under microscopy, the degrees of decellularization and demyelination of nerve scaffold and integrity of nerve fiber tubes were assessed. The rat adipose-derived stem cells growth and adherence on scaffold were studied by scanning electron microscopy, the activity and adhesive ratio of rat adipose-derived stem cells in the nerve scaffold were compared. The basal lamina tubes and the extracellular matrix in the epineurium and perineurium in the nerve graft of optimized method were better preserved than the nerve graft of the Sondell method. After co-cultured with scaffolds, the difference of cell activity between three groups (two cell-scaffold combinations and control group) at the same observation time were not statistically significant (P > 0.05),the adhesive ratio of rat adipose-derived stem cells in the scaffold of the optimized method was better than that of the Sondell method. The scaffold of the optimized method is more effective than the scaffold of the Sondell method for peripheral nerve tissue engineering.