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Abstract
This study is designed to evaluate the treatment effect of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) on axonal regeneration in experimental rat sciatic nerve damage, and compare the results of this modality with autologous nerve grafting. In Spraque–Dawley albino rats, 10-mm-long experimental nerve gaps were created. Three groups were constituted, the gap was repaired with autologous nerve graft (autograft group), PHBHHx nerve graft alone (PHBHHx alone group), and PHBHHx nerve graft with hMSCs inside (PHBHHx with hMSC group), respectively. The results were evaluated with functional recovery, electrophysiological evaluation, and histological evaluation either with light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for axonal regeneration and myelin formation. In functional evaluation, autograft and PHBHHx with hMSC groups showed functional improvement with time, whereas PHBHHx alone group did not. Electrophysiological evaluation showed better results in autograft and PHBHHx with hMSC groups when compared to PHBHHx alone group. There was no statistical difference between autograft and PHBHHx with hMSC groups. Histological evaluation showed regenerated axons in each group. Autograft group was better than the others, and PHBHHx with hMSC group was better than PHBHHx alone group both for axonal regeneration and myelin formation. This study showed that the nerve grafts which were prepared from PHBHHx with oriented nanofiber three-dimensional surfaces aided to nerve regeneration, either used alone or with hMSC. PHBHHx provided better nerve regeneration when used with hMSCs inside than alone, and reached the same statistical treatment effect in functional evaluation and electrophysiological evaluation when compared to autografting.