Venous Graft-Derived Cells Participate in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

by Mitra Lavasani, Sebastian Gehrmann, Burhan Gharaibeh, Katherine A. Clark, Robert A. Kaufmann, Bruno Péault, Robert J. Goitz, Johnny Huard

Background

Based on growing evidence that some adult multipotent cells necessary for tissue regeneration reside in the walls of blood vessels and the clinical success of vein wrapping for functional repair of nerve damage, we hypothesized that the repair of nerves via vein wrapping is mediated by cells migrating from the implanted venous grafts into the nerve bundle.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To test the hypothesis, severed femoral nerves of rats were grafted with venous grafts from animals of the opposite sex. Nerve regeneration was impaired when decellularized or irradiated venous grafts were used in comparison to untreated grafts, supporting the involvement of venous graft-derived cells in peripheral nerve repair. Donor cells bearing Y chromosomes integrated into the area of the host injured nerve and participated in remyelination and nerve regeneration. The regenerated nerve exhibited proper axonal myelination, and expressed neuronal and glial cell markers.

Conclusions/Significance

These novel findings identify the mechanism by which vein wrapping promotes nerve regeneration.

For the full article visit: Venous Graft-Derived Cells Participate in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Syndicated from:PLoS ONE

Article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.