• Wen Zeng, Mengyao Rong, Xueyu Hu, Wei Xiao, Fengyu Qi, Jinghui Huang, and Zhuojing Luo.
• Department of Orthopaedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
• Plos One. 2014 Jan 1; 9 (7): e101300.

BackgroundArtifical nerve scaffold can be used as a promising alternative to autologous nerve grafts to enhance the repair of peripheral nerve defects. However, current nerve scaffolds lack efficient microstructure and neurotrophic support.MethodsMicrosphere-Scaffold composite was developed by incorporating chitosan microspheres loaded with nerve growth factor (NGF-CMSs) into collagen-chitosan scaffolds (CCH) with longitudinally oriented microchannels (NGF-CMSs/CCH). The morphological characterizations, in vitro release kinetics study, neurite outgrowth assay, and bioactivity assay were evaluated. After that, a 15-mm-long sciatic nerve gap in rats was bridged by the NGF-CMSs/CCH, CCH physically absorbed NGF (NGF/CCH), CCH or nerve autograft. 16 weeks after implantation, electrophysiology, fluoro-gold retrograde tracing, and nerve morphometry were performed.ResultsThe NGF-CMSs were evenly distributed throughout the longitudinally oriented microchannels of the scaffold. The NGF-CMSs/CCH was capable of sustained release of bioactive NGF within 28 days as compared with others in vitro. In vivo animal study demonstrated that the outcomes of NGF-CMSs/CCH were better than those of NGF/CCH or CCH.ConclusionOur findings suggest that incorporation of NGF-CMSs into the CCH may be a promising tool in the repair of peripheral nerve defects.

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