EFFECT OF BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR AND ALPHA-MELANOCYTIC STIMULATING HORMONE ON NERVE REGENERATION THROUGH A COLLAGEN CHANNEL

An experimental study on the rat sciatic nerve was performed to evalua te nerve regeneration through a collagen guide and to study the effect s of alpha-melanocytic stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and basic fibro blast growth factor (b-FGF) in accelerating axonal elongation. After t ransection, nerves were repaired over a 7 mm gap using a placental col lagen type IV guide. The channel was filled with either a b-FGF soluti on or an alpha-MSH solution or was produced with b-FGF incorporated in to the guide. Four weeks later, only groups in which b-FGF had been in jected or incorporated displayed a significant somatosensory evoked po tential response. Histological and quantitative analysis of nerve fibr es confirmed the existence of nerve continuity in groups receiving an alpha-MSH solution or a channel containing b-FGF. These results demons trate that alpha-MSH in solution and b-FGF incorporated into a collage n type IV channel enhance peripheral nerve regeneration. However, at 4 weeks, only b-FGF (3 ng) restores functional activity. (C) 1994 Wiley -Liss, Inc.