Motor and sensory Schwann cell phenotype commitment is diminished by extracorporeal shockwave treatment in vitro
Date
2020
Type:
Article
item.page.extent
item.page.accessRights
item.contributor.advisor
ORCID:
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
item.page.isbn
item.page.issn
item.page.issne
item.page.doiurl
item.page.other
item.page.references
Abstract
The gold standard for peripheral nerve regeneration uses a sensory autograft to
bridge a motor/sensory defect site. For motor nerves to regenerate, Schwann cells
(SC) myelinate the newly grown axon. Sensory SCs have a reduced ability to produce
myelin, partially explaining low success rates of autografts. This issue is masked in
pre-clinical research by the excessive use of the rat sciatic nerve defect model, utilizing a mixed nerve with motor and sensory SCs. Aim of this study was to utilize extracorporeal shockwave treatment as a novel tool to influence SC phenotype. SCs were
isolated from motor, sensory and mixed rat nerves and in vitro differences between
them were assessed concerning initial cell number, proliferation rate, neurite outgrowth as well as ability to express myelin. We verified the inferior capacity of sensory SCs to promote neurite outgrowth and express myelin-associated proteins.
Motor Schwann cells demonstrated low proliferation rates, but strongly reacted to
pro-myelination stimuli. It is noteworthy for pre-clinical research that sciatic SCs are
a strongly mixed culture, not representing one or the other. Extracorporeal
shockwave treatment (ESWT), induced in motor SCs an increased proliferation profile, while sensory SCs gained the ability to promote neurite outgrowth and express
myelin-associated markers. We demonstrate a strong phenotype commitment of sciatic, motor, and sensory SCs in vitro, proposing the experimental use of SCs from
pure cultures to better mimic clinical situations. Furthermore we provide arguments
for using ESWT on autografts to improve the regenerative capacity of sensory SCs
Description
item.page.coverage.spatial
item.page.sponsorship
Citation
Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 2020, 1–12
Keywords
Extracorporeal shockwave treatment, Peripheral nerve regeneration, Schwann cell phenotype, Schwann cells