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Yan L, Liu S, Qi J, Zhang Z, Zhong J, Li Q, Liu X, Zhu Q, Yao Z, Lu Y, Gu L. Three-dimensional reconstruction of internal fascicles and microvascular structures of human peripheral nerves. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2019; 35:e3245. [PMID: 31370097 DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biofabricated nanostructured and microstructured scaffolds have exhibited great potential for nerve tissue regeneration and functional restoration, and prevascularization and biotransportation within 3D fascicle structures are critical. Unfortunately, an ideal internal fascicle and microvascular model of human peripheral nerves is lacking. In this study, we used microcomputed tomography (microCT) to acquire high-resolution images of the human sciatic nerve. We propose a novel deep-learning network technique, called ResNetH3D-Unet, to segment fascicles and microvascular structures. We reconstructed 3D intraneural fascicles and microvascular topography to quantify the fascicle volume ratio (FVR), microvascular volume ratio (MVR), microvascular to fascicle volume ratio (MFVR), fascicle surface area to volume ratio (FSAVR), and microvascular surface area to volume ratio (MSAVR) of human samples. The frequency distributions of the fascicle diameter, microvascular diameter, and fascicle-to-microvasculature distance were analyzed. The obtained microCT analysis and reconstruction provided high-resolution microstructures of human peripheral nerves. Our proposed ResNetH3D-Unet method for fascicle and microvasculature segmentation yielded a mean intersection over union (IOU) of 92.1% (approximately 5% higher than the U-net IOU). The 3D reconstructed model showed that the internal microvasculature runs longitudinally within the internal epineurium and connects to the external vasculature at some points. Analysis of the 3D data indicated a 48.2 ± 3% FVR, 23.7 ± 1.8% MVR, 4.9 ± 0.5% MFVR, 7.26 ± 2.58 mm-1 FSAVR, and 1.52 ± 0.52 mm-1 MSAVR. A fascicle diameter of 0.98 mm, microvascular diameter of 0.125 mm, and microvasculature-to-fascicle distance of 0.196 mm were most frequent. This study provides fundamental data and structural references for designing bionic scaffolding constructs with 3D microvascular and fascicle distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Yan
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shouliang Liu
- School of Data and Computer Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Computational Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Qi
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongpu Zhang
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW, Australia
| | - Jingxiao Zhong
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW, Australia
| | - Qing Li
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingtang Zhu
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi Yao
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Lu
- School of Data and Computer Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Computational Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liqiang Gu
- Department of Microsurgery and Orthopedic Trauma, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering and Technology Research, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Soft Tissue Biofabrication, Guangzhou, China
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Zhu Z, Huang Y, Zou X, Zheng C, Liu J, Qiu L, He B, Zhu Q, Liu X. The vascularization pattern of acellular nerve allografts after nerve repair in Sprague-Dawley rats. Neurol Res 2017; 39:1014-1021. [PMID: 28836485 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2017.1365423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowei Zhu
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Huang
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zou
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Canbin Zheng
- Department of Orthopaedic and Microsurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianghui Liu
- Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longhai Qiu
- Department of Orthopaedic, Central People’s Hospital of Huizhou, Huizhou, China
| | - Bo He
- Department of Orthopaedic and Microsurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingtang Zhu
- Department of Orthopaedic and Microsurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic and Microsurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Cui WL, Qiu LH, Lian JY, Li JC, Hu J, Liu XL. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of acellular nerves. Neural Regen Res 2016; 11:512-8. [PMID: 27127495 PMCID: PMC4829021 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.179078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascularization of acellular nerves has been shown to contribute to nerve bridging. In this study, we used a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect model in rats to determine whether cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of injured acellular nerves. The rat nerve defects were treated with acellular nerve grafting (control group) alone or acellular nerve grafting combined with intraperitoneal injection of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (experimental group). As shown through two-dimensional imaging, the vessels began to invade into the acellular nerve graft from both anastomotic ends at day 7 post-operation, and gradually covered the entire graft at day 21. The vascular density, vascular area, and the velocity of revascularization in the experimental group were all higher than those in the control group. These results indicate that cartilage oligomeric matrix protein enhances the vascularization of acellular nerves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ling Cui
- Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Long-Hai Qiu
- Department of Orthopaedics and Microsurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jia-Yan Lian
- Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jia-Chun Li
- Department of Orthopaedics and Microsurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jun Hu
- Department of Orthopaedics and Microsurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics and Microsurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Angiopoeitin-1 Provides Benefits During Nerve Regeneration In Vivo and In Vitro. Ann Biomed Eng 2015; 43:2924-40. [PMID: 26014362 PMCID: PMC4623068 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-015-1342-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Our group pioneered the study of nerve regeneration in China and has successfully developed human "acellular nerve grafts (ACNGs)". However, our clinical studies revealed that the effects of ACNGs for long and large nerve defects are far from satisfactory. To improve the efficacy of ACNGs, we combined Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein angiopoietin-1 (COMP-Ang1) with ACNGs in rat sciatic nerve injury models and observed the outcomes via angiographic, morphological, and functional analyses. Co-cultures of endothelial cells (ECs) and dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs) were also used to characterize the relationship between neovascularization and nerve regeneration. The results showed significant improvements in early neovascularization, nerve regeneration, and functional outcomes in vivo in the ACNG + COMP-Ang1 group. In vitro, neurite length, and density as well as the expression levels of neurofilament 68 (NF68) and phosphorylated-Tie-2 (p-Tie-2) significantly increased when ECs were co-cultured with DRGs using COMP-Ang1. p-Tie-2 expression dramatically decreased after treatment with a Tie-2 kinase inhibitor (S157701), which consequently decreased the level of NF68. COMP-Ang1 can be concluded to promote early neovascularization followed by brisk nerve regeneration, and the mechanism of this regeneration may involve the modulation of the p-Tie-2 and Tie-2 receptors on ECs. These findings demonstrate that ACNGs can be modified using COMP-Ang1 to improve their efficacy in repairing peripheral nerve defects in clinical trials.
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