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Pathogenic Hydrogel? A Novel-Entrapment Neuropathy Model Induced by Ultrasound-Guided Perineural Injections

Authors :
Po-Ling Kuo
Yu-Ling Lin
Ming-Yen Hsiao
Chueh-Hung Wu
Wen-Shiang Chen
Ya-Wen Wu
Source :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Volume 22, Issue 7, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 22, Iss 3494, p 3494 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2021.

Abstract

Entrapment neuropathy (EN) is a prevalent and debilitative condition caused by a complex pathogenesis that involves a chronic compression–edema–ischemia cascade and perineural adhesion that results in excessive shear stress during motion. Despite decades of research, an easily accessible and surgery-free animal model mimicking the mixed etiology is currently lacking, thus limiting our understanding of the disease and the development of effective therapies. In this proof-of-concept study, we used ultrasound-guided perineural injection of a methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-Poly(lactide-co-glycoilide) carboxylic acid (mPEG-PLGA-BOX) hydrogel near the rat’s sciatic nerve to induce EN, as confirmed sonographically, electrophysiologically, and histologically. The nerve that was injected with hydrogel appeared unevenly contoured and swollen proximally with slowed nerve conduction velocities across the injected segments, thus showing the compressive features of EN. Histology showed perineural cellular infiltration, deposition of irregular collagen fibers, and a possible early demyelination process, thus indicating the existence of adhesions. The novel method provides a surgery-free and cost-effective way to establish a small-animal model of EN that has mixed compression and adhesion features, thus facilitating the additional elucidation of the pathophysiology of EN and the search for promising treatments.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14220067
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....3e647a2f2534c53aff094437e3acc8a6
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073494