Fig. 4. Pattern diagram and paper-cut simulation of sciatic nerve coaptation, gait analysis of sciatic nerve injury model, Masson trichrome staining of gastrocnemius, immunofluorescence staining of regenerated nerve.
a Pattern diagram shows the grouping of sciatic nerve coaptation. b Paper-cut simulations of sciatic nerve coaptation. c Statistical histogram of coaptation time during the operation (n = 6 in each group). d Image results of gait analysis in SHE group and suture group. The green blot in the solid yellow box is the footprint of the left lower limb (injury side) of the rat. e Statistical histogram of sciatic nerve function index (n = 5 in each group). f Masson trichrome staining on gastrocnemius in each group. Red part of staining is muscle fibres while blue part is collagen in muscle, scale bar = 100 μm. g Statistical plot of the average diameter of gastrocnemius fibres in each group (n = 5 in each group). h Statistical plot of muscle weight ratio (ipsilateral to contralateral) in each group (n = 5 in each group). i Hematoxylin–eosin staining of distal anastomotic sciatic nerve. The capillaries inside the nerve bundle are pointed by yellow* (n = 5 in each group), scale bar = 100 μm. j Statistical plot of capillary quantity per section in sham, SHE and suture group (n = 5 in each group). k Immunofluorescence staining of S100 (red), NF200 (green) and ChAT (red) of distal anastomotic sciatic nerve in SHE group and suture group, scale bar = 100 μm. l through m Statistical plot of S100 and NF200 expression, respectively, per section in sham, SHE and suture group (n = 5 in each group). n Statistical plot of axon quantity per section (/mm2) in sham, SHE and suture group (n = 5 in each group). Data were presented as mean ± s.d. Two-tailed unpaired t test (c, e) was used for comparing anastomosis time and sciatic nerve function index (SFI) between SHE and Suture group. Anastomosis time (c): SHE group compared to Suture group, ****p < 0.0001; SFI (e): SHE group compared to Suture group, ****p < 0.0001. Ordinary one-way ANOVA test with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (j, l, g, h, m, n) was used for analysis of capillary quantity, S100 expression, NF200 expression, muscle fibre diameter and muscle weight ratio. Capillary quantity (j): Sham compared to SHE, ns p = 0.9608; Sham compared to Suture, ns p = 0.9032; SHE compared to Suture, ns p = 0.9857; Diameter of muscle fibres (g): Sham compared to SHE, ns p = 0.6865; Sham compared to Suture, ns p = 0.6462; Sham compared to Defect, ****p < 0.0001; Sham compared to Suture, ns p = 0.1405; SHE and Suture compared to Defect, ****p < 0.0001; Muscle weight ratio (h): Sham compared to SHE, **p = 0.0015; Sham compared to Suture, ****p < 0.0001; Sham, SHE and Suture compared to Defect, ****p < 0.0001; Expression of S100 (l): Sham compared to SHE, ns p = 0.4356; Sham compared to Suture, ***p = 0.0007; SHE compared to Suture, **p = 0.0065; Expression of NF200 (m): Sham compared to SHE, ns p = 0.6702; Sham compared to Suture, **p = 0.0078; SHE compared to Suture, *p = 0.0369; Axon quantity (n): Sham compared SHE, ns p = 0.0598; Sham compared to Suture, **p = 0.0018; SHE compared to Suture, ***p = 0.0002. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. NS no significance, PCL-conduit polycaprolactone conduit.