Efficacy of chitosan and sodium alginate scaffolds for repair of spinal cord injury in rats

Neural Regeneration Research, 2018 · DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.228756 · Published: March 1, 2018

Regenerative Medicine Neurology Biomedical

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often result in the loss of motor and sensory functions due to the limited regenerative capacity of adult mammalian spinal cord neurons. This study explores the use of chitosan and sodium alginate scaffolds to aid the recovery of damaged tissues. Chitosan scaffolds, sodium alginate scaffolds, and chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds were transplanted into rats with spinal cord hemisection to evaluate their impact on locomotor capacity, nerve conduction, scar tissue formation, and nerve fiber regeneration at the injury sites. The study found that chitosan scaffolds were more effective in promoting locomotor recovery, nerve transduction, nerve fiber regeneration, and preventing scar tissue formation compared to sodium alginate and composite material scaffolds.

Study Duration

60 days

Participants

48 female Wistar rats

Evidence Level

Level 2; Animal Study

Key Findings

1
Chitosan scaffolds promoted the recovery of locomotor capacity and nerve transduction in experimental rats, as evidenced by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores and electrophysiological results.
2
Sixty days after surgery, chitosan scaffolds maintained the original shape of the spinal cord, indicating a good supporting structure for tissue regeneration.
3
Compared to other scaffolds, chitosan scaffolds resulted in more neurofilament-H-immunoreactive cells (regenerating nerve fibers) and fewer glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive cells (astrocytic scar tissue) at the injury site.

Research Summary

This study investigated the efficacy of chitosan, sodium alginate, and composite chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds in promoting spinal cord injury repair in rats with spinal cord hemisection. The results indicated that chitosan scaffolds were superior in promoting locomotor recovery, nerve transduction, nerve fiber regeneration, and preventing scar tissue formation compared to sodium alginate and composite scaffolds. The findings suggest that chitosan scaffolds hold promise for aiding the repair of spinal cord injuries due to their biocompatibility, ability to promote nerve fiber regeneration, and prevention of scar tissue formation.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Chitosan scaffolds can be further developed as a therapeutic intervention for spinal cord injury due to their regenerative properties.

Biomaterial Selection

Chitosan appears to be a more suitable biomaterial for spinal cord injury repair compared to sodium alginate, based on the observed outcomes in this study.

Scaffold Design

The study highlights the importance of scaffold degradation rate and pore structure in the effectiveness of spinal cord injury repair, suggesting that slow degradation rates are desirable.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on rats, and the results may not be directly applicable to humans.
2
The hemisection spinal cord model used in the study may not fully represent the complexity of spinal cord injuries in humans.
3
Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects and mechanisms of action of chitosan scaffolds in spinal cord injury repair.

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