BACKGROUND: Autograft and allograft transplantation are used to prompt the regeneration of axons after nerve injury. However, the poor self-regeneration caused by the glial scar and growth inhibitory factors after neuronal necrosis limit the efficacy of these methods. The purpose of this study was to develop a new chitosan porous scaffold for cell seeding.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and tissue-engineered biomaterial scaffold compound were constructed and co-cultured in vitro with the differentiated BMSCs of Wistar rats and chitosan scaffold in a 3D environment. The purity of the third-generation BMSCs culture was identified using flow cytometry and assessment of induced neuronal differentiation. The scaffolds were prepared by the freeze-drying method. The internal structure of scaffolds and the change of cells’ growth and morphology were observed under a scanning electron microscope. The proliferation of cells was detected with the MTT method.

RESULTS: On day 5 there was a significant difference in the absorbance value of the experimental group (0.549±0.0256) and the control group (0.487±0.0357) (P>0.05); but on day 7 there was no significant difference in the proliferation of the experimental group (0.751±0.011) and the control group and (0.78±0.017) (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Tissue engineering technology can provide a carrier for cells seeding and is expected to become an effective method for the regeneration and repair of nerve cells. Our study showed that chitosan porous scaffolds can be used for such purposes.

Keywords: Biocompatible Materials - pharmacology, Bone Marrow Cells - cytology, Cell Differentiation - physiology, Chitosan, Coculture Techniques, Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology, Neurons - cytology, Rats, Wistar, Tissue Engineering - methods, Tissue Scaffolds