Gene expression and growth factor analysis in early nerve regeneration following segmental nerve defect reconstruction with a mesenchymal stromal cell-enhanced decellularized nerve allograft

• Published in: Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open Vol. 8; no. 1; p. e2579
• Main Authors: Rbia, Nadia, Bulstra, Liselotte F, Friedrich, Patricia F, Bishop, Allen T, Nijhuis, Tim H.J, Shin, Alexander Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All rights reserved 01.01.2020; Wolters Kluwer Health; Wolters Kluwer
• Subjects: Experimental
• ISSN: 2169-7574; 2169-7574
• DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002579

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the molecular mechanisms underlying nerve repair by a decellularized nerve allograft seeded with adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and compare it to the unseeded allograft and autograft nerve. METHODS:Undifferentiated MSCs were seeded onto decellularized nerve allografts and used to reconstruct a 10 mm gap in a rat sciatic nerve model. Gene expression profiles of genes essential for nerve regeneration and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) for PGP9.5, NGF, RECA-1, and S100 were obtained 2 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS:Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the angiogenic molecule VEGFA was significantly increased in seeded allografts, and transcription factor SOX2 was downregulated in seeded allografts. Seeded grafts showed a significant increase in immunohistochemical markers NGF and RECA-1, when compared with unseeded allografts. CONCLUSIONS:MSCs contributed to the secretion of trophic factors. A beneficial effect of the MSCs on angiogenesis was found when compared with the unseeded nerve allograft, but implanted MSCs did not show evidence of differentiation into Schwann cell-like cells.