Axonal extension from dorsal root ganglia on fibrillar and highly aligned poly(lactic acid)-polypyrrole substrates obtained by two different techniques: Electrospun nanofibres and extruded microfibres

[EN] The biological behaviour of Schwann cells (SCs) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) on fibrillar, highly aligned and electroconductive substrates obtained by two different techniques is studied. Mats formed by nanometer-sized fibres of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are obtained by the electrospinning technique, while bundles formed by micrometer-sized extruded PLA fibres are obtained by grouping microfibres together. Both types of substrates are coated with the electrically conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) and their morphological, physical and electrical characterization is carried out. SCs on micrometer-sized substrates show a higher motility and cell-cell interaction, while a higher cell-material interaction with a lower cell motility is observed for nanometer-sized substrates. This higher motility and cell-cell interaction of SCs on the micrometer-sized substrates entails a higher axonal growth from DRG, since the migration of SCs from the DRG body is accelerated and, therefore, the SCs tapestry needed for the axonal growth is formed earlier on the substrate. A higher length and area of the axons is observed for these micrometer-sized substrates, as well as a higher level of axonal sprouting when compared with the nanometer-sized ones. These substrates offer the possibility of being electrically stimulated in different tissue engineering applications of the nervous system. The authors acknowledge financing from the Spanish Government's State Research Agency (AEI) through projects DPI2015-72863-EXP and RTI2018-095872-B-C22/ERDF. FGR acknowledges scholarship FPU16/01833 of the Spanish Ministry of Universities. We thank the Electron Microscopy Service at the UPV, where the FESEM images were obtained Gisbert-Roca, F.; Más Estellés, J.; Monleón Pradas, M.; Martínez-Ramos, C. (2020). Axonal extension from dorsal root ganglia on fibrillar and highly aligned poly(lactic acid)-polypyrrole substrates obtained by two different techniques: Electrospun nanofibres and extruded microfibres. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 163:1959-1969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.181 Houschyar, K. S., Momeni, A., Pyles, M. N., Cha, J. Y., Maan, Z. N., Duscher, D., … Schoonhoven, J. van. (2016). The Role of Current Techniques and Concepts in Peripheral Nerve Repair. Plastic Surgery International, 2016, 1-8. doi:10.1155/2016/4175293 Daly, W., Yao, L., Zeugolis, D., Windebank, A., & Pandit, A. (2011). A biomaterials approach to peripheral nerve regenerati