The experimental study on co-culture of dorsal root ganglia and the neotype scaffolds of neural tissue engineering

Objective To investigate the biological compatibility of gel self-organized from IKVAV-containing peptides with nerve tissue.Methods The peptide was dissolved in NaOH solution where pH was adjusted to 8.5 and the content of peptide was 0.01 g/ml.Peptide covered with coverslip was triggered to be self-organized into gel by the addition of DMEM/F12,which was detected by TEM.The dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants were collected from newborn rats,and then the tissues were dispersed into individual cell suspension by primary isolated culture methods.The DRG and dissociated cells were divided into experimental (EG) and control group (CG).In EG,DRG and cells were transplanted on the surface of gels.Growth of DRG neurons was observed by IPCM.The gel's cytotoxicity and its effect on attachment of DRG neurons were detected by live/dead assay kit and immunofluorescence staining in combination with cell counting.Results TEM showed that the self-assembly gel was composed of network nanofibers.The growth of axons from DRG in EG was better than in CG.There was no significant difference in percentage of living cells between EG and CG 1 and 7 days after culture.The number of attached DRG neurons in EG was greater than in CG 3 h and 6 h after culture.Conclusion The gel self-organized from IKVAV-containing peptides,which can enhance the growth of DRG and attachment of DRG neurons,has low toxicity to cells and can be acted as a superordinary nerve tissue engineering scaffold. Key words: Polypeptide; Nerve; Tissue engineering; Scaffolds; Dorsal root ganglion