Facilitation of facial nerve regeneration using chitosan-β-glycerophosphate-nerve growth factor hydrogel

Abstract

Conclusion C/GP hydrogel was demonstrated to be an ideal drug delivery vehicle and scaffold in the vein conduit. Combined use autologous vein and NGF continuously delivered by C/GP-NGF hydrogel can improve the recovery of facial nerve defects. Objective This study investigated the effects of chitosan-β-glycerophosphate-nerve growth factor (C/GP-NGF) hydrogel combined with autologous vein conduit on the recovery of damaged facial nerve in a rat model. Methods A 5 mm gap in the buccal branch of a rat facial nerve was reconstructed with an autologous vein. Next, C/GP-NGF hydrogel was injected into the vein conduit. In negative control groups, NGF solution or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was injected into the vein conduits, respectively. Autologous implantation was used as a positive control group. Vibrissae movement, electrophysiological assessment, and morphological analysis of regenerated nerves were performed to assess nerve regeneration. Results NGF continuously released from C/GP-NGF hydrogel in vitro. The recovery rate of vibrissae movement and the compound muscle action potentials of regenerated facial nerve in the C/GP-NGF group were similar to those in the Auto group, and significantly better than those in the NGF group. Furthermore, larger regenerated axons and thicker myelin sheaths were obtained in the C/GP-NGF group than those in the NGF group.

Keywords:

• Chitosan-β-glycerophosphate hydrogel
• nerve regeneration
• NGF
• nerve conduit
• autologous vein

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no.81100711 and no.81170907), the 12th Five-Year National Key Technologies R&D Program (no. 2012BAI12B01), the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program, no. 2015CB965000), and Youth Fund Project of Shandong provincial Medical technology development plan (2011WSB02002).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.