The Inhibitory Effects of Rat Spinal Cord Chip on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

摘要

Little is known about the effects on peripheral nerves by neuronal growth inhibitory factors in the spinal cord. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of spinal cord chip on peripheral nerve regeneration. A silicone tube of 10 mm length, which included spinal cord chip, boiled spinal cord chip, frozen and thawed spinal cord chip, sciatic nerve chip or a piece of adipose tissue from another SD rat, was grafted between the severed rat's sciatic nerve gap. Neurofilaments, macrophages and Schwann cells were examined immu-nocytochemically 4 weeks after the operation. No regenerated nerves were seen in the spinal cord chip grafted groups, the boiled spinal cord chip grafted group or the frozen and thawed spinal cord chip grafted group. In contrast, regenerating nerve bridges were seen in the sciatic nerve chip grafted group, the adipose tissue grafted group and control group. These results indicated that a spinal cord chip suppressed peripheral nerve regeneration.