Journal of reconstructive microsurgery
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J Reconstr Microsurg · Aug 2005
Early effect of gene therapy on a direct muscle neurotization model.
Direct nerve-to-muscle neurotization has been the subject of both clinical and experimental studies. In this study, the authors report a new animal model to test the regenerative properties of a nerve (musculocutaneous) implanted in a muscle (biceps). They also report the early effects of the application at the implantation site of exogenously administered Brain Derived Nerve Factor (BDNF) and of endogenously produced BDNF, via the administration of an adenoviral construct with a tissue-specific promotor for muscle cells (AdRSV), and containing the BDNF gene. ⋯ There was also no difference in the histologic appearance and number of the motor end-plates at the implantation site, compared to the controls. The electrical stimulation of the MC nerve did not produce statistically significant results among the experimental groups. In this direct nerve to muscle neurotization model, the application of AdRSV-BDNF at 3 x 10 (9) pfu/ul did not show enhanced production of BDNF at 1 week.