Abstract:
Background Peripheral nerve injury and defect is commonly seen, but the treatment to long segment defect is not satisfying.
Objective To explore the preparation method of a new extracellular matrix-derived nerve repair material and evaluate its physicochemical properties.
Methods Fresh pig sciatic nerve was extracted under aseptic condition,and connective tissue such as fat and blood vessels were removed. Fresh group: the stripped porcine sciatic nerve was freeze-dried as the control group; 0.5% SDS 48 h group: the exfoliated porcine sciatic nerve was placed in 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution for 48 hours, then freeze-dried; 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group: after repeated 0.5% SDS 48 h preparation, the obtained nerve was placed in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) for fat removal. The prepared nerve extracellular matrix grafts were evaluated by physical properties (appearance and size), histological observation (HE staining, Laminin/DAPI immunofluorescence staining and oil red O fat staining), DNA content determination and scanning electron microscope observation.
Results In general observation, the length of the treated nerve was slightly shortened, the diameter was slightly increased, the nerve was milky white and translucent, the general outline was still intact and the texture was looser than that before treatment; HE staining showed that there was no nucleus in 0.5% SDS 48 h group and 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group; Laminin / DAPI staining showed that there was intimal tubular structure in 0.5% SDS 48 h group and 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group, but no nucleus was found in 0.5% SDS 48 h group and 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group. Oil red O fat staining showed that there was no significant decrease in fat in the 0.5% SDS 48 h group; Fat decreased significantly in the 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group; DNA content determination, 0.5% SDS 48 h group of DNA content decreased (706.7 ng/mg decline into 59.6 ng/mg, P < 0.01), 0.5% SDS 48 h + CO2 group of DNA content decreased (59.6 ng/mg decline into 49.2 ng/mg, P < 0.05); Scanning electron microscope showed that obvious intimal tubular structure could be seen in the 0.5% SDS 48 h and 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 groups, but no myelin sheath and axon were found in the 0.5% SDS 48 h and 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 groups.
Conclusion 1) The new extracellular matrix-derived nerve repair material prepared in this experiment can remove the internal substances that inhibit nerve regeneration, such as myelin sheath, axons and fat. At the same time, the components and structures that promote nerve regeneration such as laminin and intimal tubular structure were retained. 2) The comprehensive evaluation of physical structure and biochemical composition of the 0.5% SDS 48 h + scCO2 group was superior to that of the 0.5% SDS 48 h group.