Yao Zi-Ang, Chen Feng-Jia, Cui Hong-Li, Lin Tong, Guo Na, Wu Hai-Ge
School of Life Science and Technology, Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.
Neural Regen Res. 2018 Mar;13(3):502-509. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.228756.
Spinal cord injury results in the loss of motor and sensory pathways and spontaneous regeneration of adult mammalian spinal cord neurons is limited. Chitosan and sodium alginate have good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and are suitable to assist the recovery of damaged tissues, such as skin, bone and nerve. Chitosan scaffolds, sodium alginate scaffolds and chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds were separately transplanted into rats with spinal cord hemisection. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores and electrophysiological results showed that chitosan scaffolds promoted recovery of locomotor capacity and nerve transduction of the experimental rats. Sixty days after surgery, chitosan scaffolds retained the original shape of the spinal cord. Compared with sodium alginate scaffolds- and chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds-transplanted rats, more neurofilament-H-immunoreactive cells (regenerating nerve fibers) and less glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive cells (astrocytic scar tissue) were observed at the injury site of experimental rats in chitosan scaffold-transplanted rats. Due to the fast degradation rate of sodium alginate, sodium alginate scaffolds and composite material scaffolds did not have a supporting and bridging effect on the damaged tissue. Above all, compared with sodium alginate and composite material scaffolds, chitosan had better biocompatibility, could promote the regeneration of nerve fibers and prevent the formation of scar tissue, and as such, is more suitable to help the repair of spinal cord injury.
脊髓损伤会导致运动和感觉通路丧失，成年哺乳动物脊髓神经元的自发再生能力有限。壳聚糖和海藻酸钠具有良好的生物相容性和生物降解性，适用于辅助受损组织如皮肤、骨骼和神经的恢复。将壳聚糖支架、海藻酸钠支架和壳聚糖-海藻酸钠支架分别移植到脊髓半横断的大鼠体内。Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan运动评分量表得分和电生理结果表明，壳聚糖支架促进了实验大鼠运动能力的恢复和神经传导。术后60天，壳聚糖支架保持了脊髓的原始形状。与海藻酸钠支架和壳聚糖-海藻酸钠支架移植的大鼠相比，在壳聚糖支架移植大鼠的实验大鼠损伤部位观察到更多的神经丝-H免疫反应性细胞（再生神经纤维）和更少的胶质纤维酸性蛋白免疫反应性细胞（星形胶质细胞瘢痕组织）。由于海藻酸钠降解速度快，海藻酸钠支架和复合材料支架对受损组织没有支撑和桥接作用。综上所述，与海藻酸钠和复合材料支架相比，壳聚糖具有更好的生物相容性，能够促进神经纤维再生并防止瘢痕组织形成，因此更适合帮助修复脊髓损伤。
