Effects of nerve cells and adhesion molecules on nerve conduit for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Background: For peripheral nerve regeneration, recent attentions have been paid to the nerve conduits made by tissue-engineering technique. Three major elements of tissue-engineering are cells, molecules, and scaffolds.

Methods: In this study, the attachments of nerve cells, including Schwann cells, on the nerve conduit and the effects of both growth factor and adhesion molecule on these attachments were investigated.

Results: The attachment of rapidly-proliferating cells, C6 cells and HS683 cells, on nerve conduit was better than that of slowly-proliferating cells, PC12 cells and Schwann cells, however, the treatment of nerve growth factor improved the attachment of slowly-proliferating cells. In addition, the attachment of Schwann cells on nerve conduit coated with fibronectin was as good as that of Schwann cells treated with glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Conclusions: Growth factor changes nerve cell morphology and affects cell cycle time. And nerve growth factor or fibronectin treatment is indispensable for Schwann cell to be used for implantation in artificial nerve conduits.