The Use of Chitosan-Based Scaffolds to Enhance Regeneration in the Nervous System - International Review of Neurobiology - page 40

Table 1.8 Types of neurotrophic and neuroprotective factors used to enhance chitosan tubes for peripheral nerve repair — cont'd
Neurotrophic factors

Gap
size
(mm) Methods

Carrier/delivery
system

Follow-
up

Authors and
year

Nerve tube Growth factor(s) Animal Nerve Injury Controls Outcome

Chitosan
tube

Progesterone (PROG)
and pregnenolone
(PREG)

GDNF blending
with chitosan

New
Zealand
rabbits

Facial
nerve

Nerve
transection

10 Histological

evaluation

Chitosan
tube
without
PROG/
PREG

45 days Chitosan-

PROG/PREG
tube promotes
axonal
regeneration and
myelination

Chavez-
Delgado
et al. (2005)

Chitin tube Nerve growth factor
(NGF)

- Sprague-

Dawley
rats

Sciatic
nerve

Nerve
transection

5 Electrophysiological

and histological
evaluation

Epineurium
direct suture

8 weeks The repair
effects of chitin
conduit bridging
peripheral nerve
with 5-mm gap
are better than
epineurium
suture directly,
and possess the
potential to
substitute the
epineurium
suture

Zhang et al.
(2005)

Chitosan
tube

Progesterone (PROG)
and pregnenolone
(PREG)

GDNF blending
with chitosan

New
Zealand
rabbits

Facial
nerve

Nerve
transection

10 Histological

evaluation

Chitosan
tube
without
PROG/
PREG

45 days Chitosan-

PROG/PREG
tube promotes
myelination

Chavez-
Delgado
et al. (2003)