Plant G W, Harvey A R, Chirila T V
Department of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Perth.
Brain Res. 1995 Feb 6;671(1):119-30. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)01312-6.
Porous hydrophilic sponges made from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) have a number of possible biomedical applications. We have investigated whether these poly(HEMA) hydrogels, when coated with collagen and infiltrated in vitro with cultured Schwann cells, can be implanted into the lesioned optic tract and act as prosthetic bridges to promote axonal regeneration. Nineteen rats (20-21 days old) were given hydrogel/Schwann cell implants. No obvious toxic effects were seen, either to the transplanted glia or in the adjacent host tissue. Schwann cells survived the implantation technique and were immunopositive for the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor, S100 and laminin. Immunohistochemical studies showed that host non-neuronal cells (astrocytes, oligodendroglia and macrophages) migrated into the implanted hydrogels. Astrocytes were the most frequently observed host cell in the polymer bridges. RT97-positive axons were seen in about two thirds of the implants. The axons were closely associated with transplanted Schwann cells and, in some cases, host glia (astrocytes). Individual axons regrowing within the implanted hydrogels could be traced for up to 900 microns, showing that there was continuity in the network of channels within the polymer scaffold. Axons did not appear to be myelinated by either Schwann cells or by migrated host oligodendroglia. In three rats, anterograde tracing with WGA/HRP failed to demonstrate the presence of retinal axons within the hydrogels. The data indicate that poly(HEMA) hydrogels containing Schwann cells have the potential to provide a stable three-dimensional scaffold which is capable of supporting axonal regeneration in the damaged CNS.
由甲基丙烯酸2-羟乙酯（HEMA）制成的多孔亲水性海绵具有多种潜在的生物医学应用。我们研究了这些聚（HEMA）水凝胶在涂覆胶原蛋白并在体外与培养的雪旺细胞浸润后，能否植入受损的视束并充当修复性桥梁以促进轴突再生。给19只（20 - 21日龄）大鼠植入水凝胶/雪旺细胞。无论是对移植的神经胶质细胞还是对相邻的宿主组织，均未观察到明显的毒性作用。雪旺细胞在植入技术中存活下来，并且对低亲和力神经生长因子受体、S100和层粘连蛋白呈免疫阳性。免疫组织化学研究表明，宿主非神经元细胞（星形胶质细胞、少突胶质细胞和巨噬细胞）迁移到植入的水凝胶中。星形胶质细胞是聚合物桥中最常观察到的宿主细胞。在约三分之二的植入物中可见RT97阳性轴突。轴突与移植的雪旺细胞密切相关，在某些情况下还与宿主神经胶质细胞（星形胶质细胞）相关。在植入的水凝胶内再生的单个轴突可追踪长达9００微米，表明聚合物支架内的通道网络具有连续性。轴突似乎未被雪旺细胞或迁移的宿主少突胶质细胞髓鞘化。在三只大鼠中，用WGA/HRP进行的顺行示踪未能证明水凝胶内存在视网膜轴突。数据表明，含有雪旺细胞的聚（HEMA）水凝胶有可能提供一个稳定的三维支架，能够支持受损中枢神经系统中的轴突再生。
