Evaluation of PVA biodegradable electric conductive membranes for nerve regeneration in axonotmesis injuries: the rat sciatic nerve animal model. Issue 5 (13th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ribeiro, Jorge; Caseiro, Ana Rita; Pereira, Tiago; Armada‐da‐Silva, Paulo Alexandre; Pires, Isabel; Prada, Justina; Amorim, Irina; Leal Reis, Inês; Amado, Sandra; Santos, José Domingos; Bompasso, Simone; Raimondo, Stefania; Varejão, Artur Severo Proença; Geuna, Stefano; Luís, Ana Lúcia; Maurício, Ana Colette
• Is Part Of: Journal of biomedical materials research. Volume 105:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 1267
• Page End: 1280
• Publication Date: 2017-02-13
• Subjects: nerve regeneration -- axonotmesis -- polyvinyl alcohol -- nerve‐guides -- carbon nanotubes -- polypyrrole -- functional analysis -- morphometric analysis -- neurogenic atrophy; Biomedical materials -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35998
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1549-3296

Abstract

Abstract: The therapeutic effect of three polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes loaded with electrically conductive materials ‐ carbon nanotubes ( PVA‐CNTs ) and polypyrrole ( PVA‐PPy ) ‐ were tested in vivo for neuro‐muscular regeneration after an axonotmesis injury in the rat sciatic nerve. The membranes electrical conductivity measured was 1.5 ± 0.5 × 10 −6 S/m, 579 ± 0.6 × 10 −6 S/m, and 1837.5 ± 0.7 × 10 −6 S/m, respectively. At week‐12, a residual motor and nociceptive deficit were present in all treated groups, but at week‐12, a better recovery to normal gait pattern of the PVA‐CNTs and PVA‐PPy treated groups was observed. Morphometrical analysis demonstrated that PVA‐CNTs group presented higher myelin thickness and lower g‐ratio. The tibialis anterior muscle, in the PVA‐PPy and PVA‐CNTs groups showed a 9% and 19% increase of average fiber size area and a 5% and 10% increase of the "minimal Feret's diameter, " respectively. No inflammation, degeneration, fibrosis or necrosis were detected in lung, liver, kidneys, spleen, and regional lymph nodes and absence of carbon deposits was confirmed with Von Kossa and Masson‐Fontana stains. In conclusion, the membranes of PVA‐CNTs and PVA‐PPy are biocompatible and have electrical conductivity. The higher electrical conductivity measured in PVA‐CNTs membrane might be responsible for the positive results on maturation of myelinated fibers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1267–1280, 2017.