ABSTRACT
Electrically stimulable nerve conduits are implants that could potentially be utilized in patients with nerve injury for restoring function and limb mobility. Such conduits need to be developed from specialized scaffolds that are both electrically conductive and allow neuronal attachment and differentiation. In this study, we investigate neural cell attachment and axonal differentiation on scaffolds co-woven with poly-(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) yarns and conducting threads. Yarns obtained from electrospun PLLA were co-woven with polypyrrole (PPy)-coated PLLA yarns or ultrathin wires of copper or platinum using a custom built low-resistance semi-automated weaving machine. The conducting threads were first electrically characterized and tested for stability in cell growth media. Suitability of the conducting threads was further assessed via cell viability studies using PC12 cells. Neurite growth was then quantified after electrically stimulating rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons cultured on the woven scaffolds. Electrical conductivity tests and cellular viability studies demonstrated better bio-tolerability of platinum wires over PPy-coated PLLA yarns and copper wires. Electrically stimulated DRG neurons cultured on platinum-PLLA co-woven scaffolds showed enhanced neurite outgrowth and length. We demonstrate that a woven scaffold design could be utilized to incorporate conducting materials into cell-tolerable polymer yarns for developing electrically stimulable nerve conduits.
Subject(s)
Cell Differentiation , Materials Testing , Neurites/drug effects , Peripheral Nerves/pathology , Tissue Engineering/methods , Animals , Automation , Cell Adhesion , Cell Survival , Electric Conductivity , Electric Stimulation Therapy , Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism , Male , Nanofibers , Neurons/metabolism , PC12 Cells , Polyesters/chemistry , Polymers/chemistry , Pyrroles/chemistry , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Sensory Receptor Cells/metabolism , Textiles , Tissue ScaffoldsABSTRACT
Withania somnifera Dunal, also known as Indian ginseng, has been in use since ancient times in the management of diabetes mellitus (DM). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy/effectiveness, safety and tolerability of W. somnifera in managing DM. Literature search (published/unpublished) was performed from inception to April 2019 in guidelines recommended databases. A total of 6 in-vitro, 13 pre-clinical and 5 clinical studies were included for systematic evaluation. W. somnifera treatment in DM significantly restored the altered levels of blood glucose (experimental data; mean difference, -196.27; 95% confidence interval [-220.96, -171.58]; p < .00001) glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, lipid profile, serum and oxidative stress markers with no safety concerns. The results suggest the potential role of W. somnifera in managing DM. However, the available clinical data are not considerably enough to provide novel and sufficiently robust evidence for the use of W. somnifera in managing DM. To further strength the anti-diabetic profile of W. somnifera, well-designed randomized-controlled trial(s) with a larger sample size and longer duration is warranted with evaluation of its effect primarily on blood glucose, HbA1c and insulin. Future research also needs to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) of W. somnifera including its active principles in DM.
