Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Medicine, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hospital, 4-22-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-0001, Japan.
Neurochem Int. 2021 Sep;148:105062. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105062. Epub 2021 May 15.
Nerve guides with mesenchymal stem cells have been investigated in the rat facial nerve defect model to promote peripheral nerve regeneration and shorten recovery time to improve patients' quality of life. A 7-mm facial nerve gap experimental rat model is frequently employed in facial nerve regeneration studies. Facial nerve regeneration with nerve guides is evaluated by (1) assessing myelinated fiber counts using toluidine blue staining, (2) immunohistological analysis, (3) determining the g-ratio (axon diameter/total outer diameter) of regenerated nerve on transmission electron microscopic images, (4) retrograde nerve tracing in the facial nucleus, (5) electrophysiological evaluations using compound muscle action potential, and (6) functional evaluations using rat facial palsy scores. Dental pulp and adipose-derived stem cells, easily harvested using a minimally invasive procedure, possess characteristics of mesenchymal tissue lineages and can differentiate into Schwann-like cells. Cultured dental pulp-derived cells can produce neurotrophic factors, including nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. These neurotrophic factors promote peripheral nerve regeneration and afford protection against facial motor neuron death. Moreover, artificial nerve guides can maneuver axonal regrowth, and dental pulp-derived cells and adipose-derived Schwann cells may supply neurotrophic factors, promoting axonal regeneration. In the present review, the authors discuss facial nerve regeneration using nerve guides with mesenchymal stem cells.
神经导管联合间充质干细胞已在大鼠面神经缺损模型中进行了研究，以促进周围神经再生并缩短恢复时间，从而提高患者的生活质量。面神经再生研究中常采用 7mm 面神经间隙实验性大鼠模型。神经导管引导的面神经再生通过以下方法进行评估：（1）甲苯胺蓝染色评估有髓神经纤维计数，（2）免疫组织化学分析，（3）电镜图像上再生神经的 g 比值（轴突直径/总外径）测定，（4）面神经核逆行神经追踪，（5）复合肌肉动作电位的电生理评估，（6）大鼠面瘫评分的功能评估。牙髓和脂肪来源的干细胞可通过微创程序轻松获取，具有间充质组织谱系的特征，可分化为雪旺样细胞。培养的牙髓源性细胞可产生神经营养因子，包括神经生长因子、脑源性神经营养因子和胶质细胞源性神经营养因子。这些神经营养因子促进周围神经再生，并防止面运动神经元死亡。此外，人工神经导管可引导轴突再生，牙髓源性细胞和脂肪源性施万细胞可能提供神经营养因子，促进轴突再生。在本综述中，作者讨论了神经导管联合间充质干细胞对面神经再生的作用。
