Short-Term Collagen Nerve Wrapping Facilitates Motor and Sensory Recovery from Nerve Degeneration in a Sciatic Nerve Injury Rat Model

• Published in: Journal of pain research 2023-05, Vol.16, p.1683-1695
• Main Authors: Sonohata, Motoki, Doi, Atsushi, Uchihashi, Kazuyoshi, Hashimoto, Akira, Kii, Sakumo, Inoue, Takao, Mawatari, Masaaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aneurysms; Collagen; Degeneration; Electronics industry; motor and sensory recovery; nerve wrapping; Nervous system; Original Research; Physiological aspects; polyglycolic acid-collage tube; sciatic nerve injury; sensory threshold
• ISSN: 1178-7090; 1178-7090
• DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S401126

This study used a sciatic nerve injury rat model to investigate the short-term effects of a polyglycolic acid (PGA)-collagen tube for nerve injury in continuity. Sixteen female Wistar rats (6-8 weeks) were used, and the left sciatic nerve was crushed with a Sugita aneurysm clip. Sciatic nerve model rats were randomly categorized into two groups (n = 8; control group, n = 8; nerve wrapping group). Then, we measured four sensory thresholds, magnetically stimulated the lumbar region to induce motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), and evaluated the sciatic nerve histopathologically. In the sensory thresholds, there were significant differences for the main effect in 250 and 2000 Hz stimulation (p = 0.048 and 0.006, respectively). Further, a significant difference was observed with 2000 Hz stimulation at 1 week (p = 0.003). In the heat stimulation, there were significant differences for the main effect in both weeks and groups (p = 0.0002 and 0.0185, respectively). The post-hoc test showed a significant difference between groups only in 2W (p = 0.0283). Three weeks after the surgery, both 2nd and 3rd MEPs waves-related latencies in the nerve wrapping group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (p = 0.0207 and 0.0271, respectively). Histological evaluation of the sciatic nerve revealed considerable differences in the number of axons between the two groups (p = 0.0352). The short-term PGA-collagen tube nerve wrapping facilitated motor and sensory recovery from nerve degeneration in the sciatic nerve injury rat model.