Bioactive Nanofiber-Based Conduits in a Peripheral Nerve Gap Management-An Animal Model Study.
Tomasz Dębski, Ewa Kijeńska-Gawrońska, Aleksandra Zołocińska, Katarzyna Siennicka, Anna Słysz, Wiktor Paskal, Paweł K Włodarski, Wojciech Święszkowski, Zygmunt Pojda
Author Information
Tomasz Dębski: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Wawelska 15B, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland.
Ewa Kijeńska-Gawrońska: Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
Aleksandra Zołocińska: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Wawelska 15B, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland.
Katarzyna Siennicka: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Wawelska 15B, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
Anna Słysz: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Wawelska 15B, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
Wiktor Paskal: Centre for Preclinical Research, Department of Methodology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1b, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
Paweł K Włodarski: Centre for Preclinical Research, Department of Methodology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1b, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
Wojciech Święszkowski: Materials Design Division, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland.
Zygmunt Pojda: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Wawelska 15B, 02-034 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
The aim was to examine the efficiency of a scaffold made of poly (L-lactic acid)-co-poly(ϵ-caprolactone), collagen (COL), polyaniline (PANI), and enriched with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) as a nerve conduit in a rat model. P(LLA-CL)-COL-PANI scaffold was optimized and electrospun into a tubular-shaped structure. Adipose tissue from 10 Lewis rats was harvested for ASCs culture. A total of 28 inbred male Lewis rats underwent sciatic nerve transection and excision of a 10 mm nerve trunk fragment. In Group A, the nerve gap remained untouched; in Group B, an excised trunk was used as an autograft; in Group C, nerve stumps were secured with P(LLA-CL)-COL-PANI conduit; in Group D, P(LLA-CL)-COL-PANI conduit was enriched with ASCs. After 6 months of observation, rats were sacrificed. Gastrocnemius muscles and sciatic nerves were harvested for weight, histology analysis, and nerve fiber count analyses. Group A showed advanced atrophy of the muscle, and each intervention (B, C, D) prevented muscle mass decrease ( < 0.0001); however, ASCs addition decreased efficiency vs. autograft ( < 0.05). Nerve fiber count revealed a superior effect in the nerve fiber density observed in the groups with the use of conduit (D vs. B < 0.0001, C vs. B < 0.001). P(LLA-CL)-COL-PANI conduits with ASCs showed promising results in managing nerve gap by decreasing muscle atrophy.
