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Uncultured adipose-derived regenerative cells promote peripheral nerve regeneration

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Orthopaedic Science

Abstract

Background

We examined whether or not peripheral nerves can be regenerated using uncultured adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs). We also searched for humoral factors that might promote the proliferation or migration of Schwann cells.

Methods

Thirty rats were randomly assigned to three groups. A 10 mm sciatic nerve defect was bridged using a silicon tube filled with physiological saline (control group), type I collagen gel (collagen group), and a mixture of ADRCs and type I collagen gel (ADRC group). The regenerated tissues were studied two weeks after surgery.

Results

Continuity of regenerated tissue was observed in all rats in the control group and the ADRC group. In the collagen group, only two rats had a bridge of thin tissue, which was barely visible macroscopically. Protein gene product 9.5 staining confirmed significantly faster regeneration in the ADRC group. The distributions of the PKH-26 positive areas and the S-100 protein positive areas were different, suggesting that the transplanted cells had not differentiated into Schwann cells. In real-time RT-PCR, neuregulin-1 (Neu-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression were detected in uncultured ADRCs before transplantation. The regenerated tissue in the ADRC group had higher levels of Neu-1 and VEGFA expression than the control group.

Conclusions

ADRCs promote peripheral nerve regeneration. The mechanism does not involve the differentiation of transplanted cells into Schwann cells, but probably involves the secretion of some type of humoral factor such as Neu-1 or VEGFA that promotes the proliferation or migration of Schwann cells.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Toshiya Nomura and Ms. Yoko Kasai for their skillful technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have any conflicts of interest or disclosures in relation to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, Japan

    Seigo Suganuma, Kaoru Tada, Katsuhiro Hayashi, Akihiko Takeuchi & Hiroyuki Tsuchiya

  2. Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan

    Naotoshi Sugimoto

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kanazawa Medical Center, Kanazawa, Japan

    Kazuo Ikeda

Authors
  1. Seigo Suganuma
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  2. Kaoru Tada
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  3. Katsuhiro Hayashi
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  4. Akihiko Takeuchi
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  5. Naotoshi Sugimoto
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  6. Kazuo Ikeda
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  7. Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
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Correspondence to Kaoru Tada.

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Suganuma, S., Tada, K., Hayashi, K. et al. Uncultured adipose-derived regenerative cells promote peripheral nerve regeneration. J Orthop Sci 18, 145–151 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-012-0306-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-012-0306-9

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