Facial-nerve regeneration ability of a hybrid artificial nerve conduit containing uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction: An experimental study

Purpose

This study investigated the potential of uncultured-stromal-vascular-fraction (SVF) cells in promoting facial nerve regeneration in a rat model.

Materials and Methods

A 7-mm nerve defect was created in the buccal branch of facial nerve in five groups of Lewis rats (total n = 30, n = 6 per group). A silicone tube, infused with syngeneic uncultured-SVF was implanted into the facial nerve defect. Groups 1–3 received 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁵, and 1 × 10⁷ cells, and regenerated nerves were examined at 13 weeks after the surgery. The findings were compared to the autograft and collagen-alone groups with facial palsy score (FPS), the number of myelinated fibers, fiber diameter, axon diameter, myelin thickness, and g ratio.

Results

There was no significant difference in FPS between the autograft and 1 × 10⁵-cell groups at 13 weeks after surgery, and FPS values of these two groups were significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.01). Axon diameter significantly increased in the 1 × 10⁵-cell group compared with the 1 × 10³- (P < 0.05) and 1 × 10⁷-cell groups (P < 0.01). Myelin thickness was found to be the highest in the autograft group, followed by the 1 × 10⁵-, 1 × 10³-, 1 × 10⁷-cell, and negative control groups, and there were significant differences among all groups (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The infusion of uncultured-SVF into the artificial nerve conduit promoted optimal nerve regeneration that was significantly better than nerve conduit alone. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2016.

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