Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Oct 1993
A laminin graft replaces neurorrhaphy in the restorative surgery of the rat sciatic nerve.
We investigated the role of laminin in functional recovery of a peripheral nerve injury using electrophysiological and behavioral approaches on the rat sciatic nerve in vivo. These studies were complemented by neurofilament protein immunocytochemistry on the sciatic nerve 20 days after an operation, in which an 8-mm piece of the nerve was removed and replaced by a graft of laminin, its neurite outgrowth-promoting peptide, a control peptide, collagen, or by resuturing of the removed piece of the nerve. Electrophysiological measurements of muscle strength 4 months after the sciatic nerve transection showed that a laminin graft was as effective as neurorrhaphy in supporting functional recovery of an injured peripheral nerve. ⋯ These results provide the first in vivo evidence for the functional role of laminin in peripheral nerve regeneration. As the neurite outgrowth-promoting domain of the B2 chain of laminin is as efficient as laminin or resuturing in supporting a short-term recovery of an injured sciatic nerve, this area may be a regeneration-promoting domain of this glycoprotein. More importantly, as grafting significantly reduces post-traumatic pain behavior in the operated animals, the laminin graft surgery may provide a useful method for clinical restoration of the injured peripheral nerves.