Objective To investigate the outcome of repairing the peripheral nerve defects with the tissue engineered nerve constructed by Schwann cells and fibrin glue. Methods Wallerian degenerated sciatic nerve were harvested from the 4-week-old New Zealand rabbits for culture of Schwann cells. The Schwann cells were then separated, amplified and purified, and then were identified by the S-100 protein immunochemical staining. The cultured Schwann cells (1×106/ml) were mixed with fibrin glue to form the Schwann cell-fibrin glue compound, which was observed by the inverted phase contrastmicroscope. The compound filled some silicone tubes (Group A) and biomembrane (Group B) to fabricate the tissue engineered nerves with a purpose of repairing the 10-mm defects in the New Zealand rabbit tibia nerves. The autologous nerve grafting was performed in Group C. The electrophysiological examination and the histomorphological analysis were performed at 10 weeks after the transplantation. Results All the rabbits survived through the experiment. In Group A, all the rabbits developed an ulcer in the soles of their left feet at 3-4weeks after the transplantation, while less ulceration developed in Groups B and C. At 10 weeks after the transplantation, the electrophysiological examination was performed, the elective stimulation failed to pass through the nerve grafts, and no composed muscular action potential was found in all the rabbits in Group A; the elective stimulation could pass through all the nerve grafts in Groups B and C, and could evoke the composed muscular action potential; the composed muscular action potential and the nerve conduct velocity in the two groups were 4.21±0.82 mV and 3.40±5.40 m/s vs. 4.80±1.15 mV and 36.55±6.43 m/s(P gt;0.05). In Group A, no regrown axon was found in the nerve grafts, but neuromawas found to have formed in the both ends of the silicon tube. In Groups B and C, there was no obvious neuroma formation but regrown axons could be found to have regenerated. The histomorphological analysis on the regrown axons showed thatthere was no statistically significant difference between Groups B and C. Conclusion The tissue engineered nerve fabricated with Schwann cells, fibrin glue, and biomembrane can promote the nerve regeneration, and its reparative effect is similar to that of the autologous nerves; therefore, the future of its clinical practice is brilliant.

Citation： LI Genka,YU Nansheng,LI Wen.. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON TISSUE ENGINEERED NERVE CONSTRUCTED BY SCHWANN CELLS AND FIBRIN GLUE. Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery, 2007, 21(6): 577-581. doi: Copy