91 / 2018-08-01 14:51:56

The influence of the cross-sectional morphology on the compressive resistance of polymeric nerve conduits and the stiffness of the substrate on nerve regeneration

polymeric nerve conduits,porous morphology,porosity,compressive resistance,substrates stiffness,layered microstructure

全体主题 > ii. Biomaterials and formulation of novel “bioinks” for tissue-specific applications

Artificial nerve conduits are now used widely for patients who have suffered nerve injury, while mechanical properties are of great importance for successful clinical application of nerve conduits and of great medical significance to study the regeneration of neurons. In this work, the poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nerve conduits were fabricated by the dry-jet wet spinning, and the compressive resistance of nerve conduits was consistently measured. Result shows that the compressive resistance of nerve conduits significantly increased with PLGA concentration of dope fluids. A numerical model was developed to simulate the compression tests of nerve conduits; where the hyperelastic–plastic constitutive law and the morphological characters of the cross sections of nerve conduits were implemented. Moreover, PC12 cells (mouse neuroblastic and eosinophilic cells) were cultured on hydrogel substrates with different stiffness to explore the effect of substrate stiffness on the neuron outgrowth. The numerical results indicated the layered morphology of the cross sections of nerve conduits played the most important role in determining the compressive resistance. The culture results revealed that the difference of substrate stiffness will result in changes of neuronal growth characteristics and morphology, including cellular activity, adhesion and spreading, and the average axonal length.
This study helps understanding how the morphology influences the compressive resistance of porous polymeric nerve conduits and the relation between the stiffness of the substrate and nerve regeneration, leading to better design of fabrication setup for nerve conduits and stiffness selection for nerve regeneration.