Lee Jae Min, Chung Jong Woo, Jeong Na Young, Jung Junyang, Kim Sung Soo, Jeong Su Jin, Yeo Seung Geun
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
Biomedicines. 2024 Nov 5;12(11):2531. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12112531.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: When the facial nerve is severed and a nerve graft is required, motor nerves are typically connected in the forward direction, while sensory nerves are connected in the reverse direction. However, there is limited research on the effects of reversing this connection, and no studies have been conducted using the same facial nerve. This study aimed to investigate the effects of forward and reverse suturing on nerve regeneration following facial nerve axotomy.
The facial nerve trunk of male Sprague Dawley rats was incised to induce facial nerve injury, and autografts were sutured using both forward and reverse methods. Behavioral tests, including whisker reflex and eye blink tests, were conducted. Histological analyses, including toluidine blue staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were performed to evaluate axon recovery.
Behavioral experiments showed signs of recovery at 3-4 weeks in both the forward and reverse suture groups, with no significant differences between the two methods ( < 0.01). Histological analysis showed partial recovery by 8 weeks in both groups. Toluidine blue staining indicated a reduction in the number of axons at 4 weeks, with partial recovery at 8 weeks ( < 0.001) in both groups. TEM analysis revealed that myelin fiber thickness was restored in both the forward and reverse suture groups, though it remained thinner compared to normal ( < 0.01).
Our results suggest that the direction of nerve suturing (forward vs. reverse) does not significantly impact nerve regeneration or functional recovery. Both suturing methods demonstrated similar recovery effects, with no significant differences in microstructural regeneration. Future studies should investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying nerve regeneration and extend the observation period to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this process.
背景/目的：当面神经被切断且需要进行神经移植时，运动神经通常按正向连接，而感觉神经按反向连接。然而，关于颠倒这种连接方式的影响的研究有限，且尚未有使用同一条面神经进行的研究。本研究旨在探讨面神经切断术后正向和反向缝合对神经再生的影响。
切开雄性Sprague Dawley大鼠的面神经干以诱导面神经损伤，并采用正向和反向两种方法进行自体移植缝合。进行了包括触须反射和眨眼试验在内的行为测试。进行了包括甲苯胺蓝染色和透射电子显微镜（TEM）在内的组织学分析，以评估轴突恢复情况。
行为实验显示，正向和反向缝合组在3 - 4周时均有恢复迹象，两种方法之间无显著差异（<0.01）。组织学分析显示，两组在8周时均有部分恢复。甲苯胺蓝染色表明，两组在4周时轴突数量减少，8周时有部分恢复（<0.001）。TEM分析显示，正向和反向缝合组的髓鞘纤维厚度均得以恢复，尽管与正常相比仍较薄（<0.01）。
我们的结果表明，神经缝合方向（正向与反向）对神经再生或功能恢复没有显著影响。两种缝合方法均显示出相似的恢复效果，在微观结构再生方面无显著差异。未来的研究应调查神经再生的分子机制，并延长观察期，以更全面地了解这一过程。
