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Review
. 2018 Nov 19:12:427.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00427. eCollection 2018.

Nerve Repair Using Decellularized Nerve Grafts in Rat Models. A Review of the Literature

Arianna B Lovati  1 , Daniele D'Arrigo  1 , Simonetta Odella  2 , Pierluigi Tos  2 , Stefano Geuna  3 , Stefania Raimondo  3
Affiliations
Review

Nerve Repair Using Decellularized Nerve Grafts in Rat Models. A Review of the Literature

Arianna B Lovati et al. Front Cell Neurosci. .

Abstract

Peripheral nerve regeneration after severe traumatic nerve injury is a relevant clinical problem. Several different strategies have been investigated to solve the problem of bridging the nerve gap. Among these, the use of decellularized nerve grafts has been proposed as an alternative to auto/isografts, which represent the current gold standard in the treatment of severe nerve injury. This study reports the results of a systematic review of the literature published between January 2007 and October 2017. The aim was to quantitatively analyze the effectiveness of decellularized nerve grafts in rat experimental models. The review included 33 studies in which eight different decellularization protocols were described. The decellularized nerve grafts were reported to be immunologically safe and able to support both functional and morphological regeneration after nerve injury. Chemical protocols were found to be superior to physical protocols. However, further research is needed to optimize preparation protocols, including recellularization, improve their effectiveness, and substitute the current gold standard, especially in the repair of long nerve defects.

Keywords: allograft; decellularized nerve graft; nerve injury; nerve regeneration; rat model.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Research strategy. Flow chart of the selection process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Average values of electrophysiological parameters indicating the electrical functionality of nerves. The Conduction Velocity (CV; m/s), Wave Amplitude (WA; mV) and Latency Period (LP; ms) are compared between sham control and autografts (AG) at different time points. Data are reported as mean ± SD.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Quantitative analysis of the neuronal morphology based on different parameters emerging from the histomorphometric evaluations. The myelinated fiber density (number of axons per mm2), myelinated fiber number, axon diameter (μm) and myelin sheath thickness (μm) are compared between sham control and autografts (AG) at different time points. One way ANOVA for nonparametric data and Dunns’ post hoc correction was performed. Data are reported as mean ± SD, ∗∗p < 0.01.
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