Novel heparin/alginate gel combined with basic fibroblast growth factor promotes nerve regeneration in rat sciatic nerve
✍ Scribed by Ohta, Masayoshi ;Suzuki, Yoshihisa ;Chou, Hirotomi ;Ishikawa, Namiko ;Suzuki, Shigehiko ;Tanihara, Masao ;Suzuki, Yasuo ;Mizushima, Yutaka ;Dezawa, Mari ;Ide, Chizuka
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2004
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 503 KB
- Volume
- 71A
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0021-9304
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
We have developed an alginate gel crosslinked with covalent bonds for regeneration of dermis, nerve, and bone. Recently, a novel matrix (H/A gel) which consists of heparin and alginate covalently crosslinked with ethylenediamine, was designed. It can stabilize and release biologically active basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for 1 month, which is one of the heparin‐binding growth factors. In the present report, we examined the effect of this novel H/A gel on nerve regeneration in the rat sciatic nerve. In this study, regenerated axons in H/A gel with bFGF grew faster than in ordinary alginate gel with bFGF in the early stage. Myelinated fibers showed a tendency to increase in diameter toward the normal size in the later stage. Nerve bundles in the implantation exhibited minimal fibrosis and good vascularization. H/A gel with bFGF exhibited better‐developed vascularization than ordinary alginate gel with bFGF. These findings suggested that H/A gel with bFGF could serve not only as an efficient cellular scaffold, but also as a stabilizing matrix for bFGF for peripheral nerve regeneration. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 71A: 661–668, 2004