Comparison of Neural Regeneration in a Nerve Conduit Across a Large Gap of The Transected Sciatic Nerve in Rats with Different Therapeutic Modalities of a Low-Level Laser Phototherapy

• Main Authors: Lin, Yi-Chun, 林義鈞
• Other Authors: Liu, Bai-Shuan
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/68859898730387694116

碩士 === 中臺科技大學 === 醫學影像暨放射科學系暨研究所 === 103 === This study proposed a novel combination of neural regeneration techniques for the repair of damaged peripheral nerves. A biodegradable nerve conduit containing genipin-cross-linked gelatin was annexed using beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ceramic particles (Genipin-Gelatin-TCP, GGT) to bridge the transection of a 15 mm sciatic nerve in rats. Two trigger points were irradiated transcutaneously on the surgical site using 660 nm of gallium-aluminum arsenide phosphide (GaAlAsP) laser diodes and the laser therapy starts on day 1 after the operation. The animals were divided into three groups: (1) the sham-irradiated control group (GGT/Sham); (2) the laser therapy group (GGT/LT1) with an exposure time 1 min/day for 10 consecutive days; (3) the laser therapy group (GGT/LT4) with an exposure time 4 min/day for 5 consecutive days. The conduit was dark bluish in appearance and round with a rough and compact outer surface observed by SEM. Twelve weeks following implantation, the results demonstrated that laser stimulation significantly reduced muscular atrophy (P < 0.05). Histomorphometric assessments revealed that laser stimulation accelerated nerve regeneration over a larger area of neural tissue, resulting in axons of greater diameter and myelin sheaths of greater thickness than that observed in rats treated with nerve conduits alone. Thus, this study demonstrated that the proposed therapeutic modalities of low-level laser can accelerate the repair of transected peripheral nerves bridged using a GGT nerve conduit. In addition, high-dose/short-period laser therapy group (GGT/LT4 group) showed the better nerve regeneration effect than the low-dose/long-period treatment group (GGT/LT1 group).