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. 2013 Nov;47(6):547-52.
doi: 10.4103/0019-5413.121572.

Sciatic nerve repair with tissue engineered nerve: Olfactory ensheathing cells seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) conduit in an animal model

C W Tan  1 , M H Ng  2 , H Ohnmar  3 , Y Lokanathan  2 , H Nur-Hidayah  4 , S A Roohi  5 , Bhi Ruszymah  6 , M H Nor-Hazla  3 , A Shalimar  3 , A S Naicker  3
Affiliations

Sciatic nerve repair with tissue engineered nerve: Olfactory ensheathing cells seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) conduit in an animal model

C W Tan et al. Indian J Orthop. 2013 Nov.

Abstract

Background and aim: Synthetic nerve conduits have been sought for repair of nerve defects as the autologous nerve grafts causes donor site morbidity and possess other drawbacks. Many strategies have been investigated to improve nerve regeneration through synthetic nerve guided conduits. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) that share both Schwann cell and astrocytic characteristics have been shown to promote axonal regeneration after transplantation. The present study was driven by the hypothesis that tissue-engineered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) seeded with OECs would improve peripheral nerve regeneration in a long sciatic nerve defect.

Materials and methods: Sciatic nerve gap of 15 mm was created in six adult female Sprague-Dawley rats and implanted with PLGA seeded with OECs. The nerve regeneration was assessed electrophysiologically at 2, 4 and 6 weeks following implantation. Histopathological examination, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination and immunohistochemical analysis were performed at the end of the study.

Results: Nerve conduction studies revealed a significant improvement of nerve conduction velocities whereby the mean nerve conduction velocity increases from 4.2 ΁ 0.4 m/s at week 2 to 27.3 ΁ 5.7 m/s at week 6 post-implantation (P < 0.0001). Histological analysis revealed presence of spindle-shaped cells. Immunohistochemical analysis further demonstrated the expression of S100 protein in both cell nucleus and the cytoplasm in these cells, hence confirming their Schwann-cell-like property. Under SEM, these cells were found to be actively secreting extracellular matrix.

Conclusion: Tissue-engineered PLGA conduit seeded with OECs provided a permissive environment to facilitate nerve regeneration in a small animal model.

Keywords: Olfactory ensheathing cells; poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); sciatic nerve defect; tissue engineering.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Implantation of poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) nerve conduit seeded with olfactory ensheathing cells at transected sciatic nerve injury
Figure 2
Figure 2
A bar diagram showing nerve conduction velocities at 2, 4 and 6 weeks following implantation of olfactory ensheathing cells seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) conduit into transected sciatic nerve. *One-way ANOVA of the three groups of data revealed P < 0.0001. The 6th weeks post implantation mean conduction velocity was significantly higher compared to the 2nd and 4th week post-implantation mean conduction velocity
Figure 3
Figure 3
H and E staining of cross-sectional nerve (×100). Mid-portion of: (a) the implanted olfactory ensheathing cell seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) conduit (6 weeks), (b) normal sciatic nerve. The black arrow shows Schwann cell-like cells and the red arrow show red blood cells
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scanning electron micrograph of: (a) olfactory ensheathing cells seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) nerve conduit at 6 weeks postimplantation at transected sciatic nerve (×3000), (b) normal Schwann cell (×10000)
Figure 5
Figure 5
Immunofluorescence staining of the normal nerve and implanted conduits’ cross section (×100). Cells with DAPI-counterstained nucleus (blue) are expressing S-100 (green fluorescence). (a) olfactory ensheathing cells seeded poly(lactic-co-glygolic acid) nerve conduit 6 weeks post implantation at transected sciatic nerve (6 weeks), (b) normal sciatic nerve
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