Facial-nerve regeneration ability of a hybrid artificial nerve conduit containing uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction: An experimental study.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

This study investigated the potential of uncultured-stromal-vascular-fraction (SVF) cells in promoting facial nerve regeneration in a rat model. A 7-mm nerve defect was created in the buccal branch of facial nerve in five groups of Lewis rats (total n = 30, n = 6 per group). A silicone tube, infused with syngeneic uncultured-SVF was implanted into the facial nerve defect. Groups 1-3 received 1 × 10 3 , 1 × 10 5 , and 1 × 10 7 cells, and regenerated nerves were examined at 13 weeks after the surgery. The findings were compared to the autograft and collagen-alone groups with facial palsy score (FPS), the number of myelinated fibers, fiber diameter, axon diameter, myelin thickness, and g ratio. There was no significant difference in FPS between the autograft and 1 × 10 5 -cell groups at 13 weeks after surgery, and FPS values of these two groups were significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.01). Axon diameter significantly increased in the 1 × 10 5 -cell group compared with the 1 × 10 3 - (P < 0.05) and 1 × 10 7 -cell groups (P < 0.01). Myelin thickness was found to be the highest in the autograft group, followed by the 1 × 10 5 -, 1 × 10 3 -, 1 × 10 7 -cell, and negative control groups, and there were significant differences among all groups (P < 0.01). The infusion of uncultured-SVF into the artificial nerve conduit promoted optimal nerve regeneration that

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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