Electrodeposition of chitosan/graphene oxide conduit to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration

Currently available commercial nerve guidance conduits have been applied in the repair of peripheral nerve defects. However, a conduit exhibiting good biocompatibility remains to be developed. In this work, a series of chitosan/graphene oxide (GO) films with concentrations of GO varying from 0–1 wt% (collectively referred to as CHGF-n) were prepared by an electrodeposition technique. The effects of CHGF-n on proliferation and adhesion abilities of Schwann cells were evaluated. The results showed that Schwann cells exhibited elongated spindle shapes and upregulated expression of nerve regeneration-related factors such as Krox20 (a key myelination factor), Zeb2 (essential for Schwann cell differentiation, myelination, and nerve repair), and transforming growth factor β (a cytokine with regenerative functions). In addition, a nerve guidance conduit with a GO content of 0.25% (CHGFC-0.25) was implanted to repair a 10-mm sciatic nerve defect in rats. The results indicated improvements in sciatic functional index, electrophysiology, and sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius muscle histology compared with the CHGFC-0 group, and similar outcomes to the autograft group. In conclusion, we provide a candidate method for the repair of peripheral nerve defects using free-standing chitosan/GO nerve conduits produced by electrodeposition.