TY - JOUR A1 - Heinzel, Johannes Christoph A1 - Oberhauser, Viola A1 - Keibl, Claudia A1 - Schädl, Barbara A1 - Swiadek, Nicole V. A1 - Längle, Gregor A1 - Frick, Helen A1 - Slezak, Cyrill A1 - Prahm, Cosima A1 - Grillari, Johannes A1 - Kolbenschlag, Jonas A1 - Hercher, David T1 - ESWT Diminishes Axonal Regeneration following Repair of the Rat Median Nerve with Muscle-In-Vein Conduits but Not after Autologous Nerve Grafting JF - Biomedicines N2 - Investigations reporting positive effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on nerve regeneration are limited to the rat sciatic nerve model. The effects of ESWT on muscle-in-vein conduits (MVCs) have also not been investigated yet. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ESWT after repair of the rat median nerve with either autografts (ANGs) or MVCs. In male Lewis rats, a 7 mm segment of the right median nerve was reconstructed either with an ANG or an MVC. For each reconstructive technique, one group of animals received one application of ESWT while the other rats served as controls. The animals were observed for 12 weeks, and nerve regeneration was assessed using computerized gait analysis, the grasping test, electrophysiological evaluations and histological quantification of axons, blood vessels and lymphatic vasculature. Here, we provide for the first time a comprehensive analysis of ESWT effects on nerve regeneration in a rat model of median nerve injury. Furthermore, this study is among the first reporting the quantification of lymphatic vessels following peripheral nerve injury and reconstruction in vivo. While we found no significant direct positive effects of ESWT on peripheral nerve regeneration, results following nerve repair with MVCs were significantly inferior to those after ANG repair. KW - Tissue Engineering KW - Muscle-In-Vein Conduits KW - Axonal Regeneration KW - Autologous Nerve Grafting Y1 - VL - 2022 IS - 10(8) SP - 1777 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ashmwe, Mohamed A1 - Posa, Katja A1 - Rührnößl, Alexander A1 - Heinzel, Johannes Christoph A1 - Heimel, Patrick A1 - Mock, Michael A1 - Schädl, Barbara A1 - Keibl, Claudia A1 - Couillard-Despres, Sebastien A1 - Redl, Heinz A1 - Mittermayr, Rainer A1 - Hercher, David T1 - Effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Functional Recovery and Circulating miR-375 and miR-382-5p after Subacute and Chronic Spinal Cord Contusion Injury in Rats JF - Biomedicines N2 - Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) can stimulate processes to promote regeneration, including cell proliferation and modulation of inflammation. Specific miRNA expression panels have been established to define correlations with regulatory targets within these pathways. This study aims to investigate the influence of low-energy ESWT-applied within the subacute and chronic phase of SCI (spinal cord injury) on recovery in a rat spinal cord contusion model. Outcomes were evaluated by gait analysis, µCT and histological analysis of spinal cords. A panel of serum-derived miRNAs after SCI and after ESWT was investigated to identify injury-, regeneration- and treatment-associated expression patterns. Rats receiving ESWT showed significant improvement in motor function in both a subacute and a chronic experimental setting. This effect was not reflected in changes in morphology, µCT-parameters or histological markers after ESWT. Expression analysis of various miRNAs, however, revealed changes after SCI and ESWT, with increased miR-375, indicating a neuroprotective effect, and decreased miR-382-5p potentially improving neuroplasticity via its regulatory involvement with BDNF. We were able to demonstrate a functional improvement of ESWT-treated animals after SCI in a subacute and chronic setting. Furthermore, the identification of miR-375 and miR-382-5p could potentially provide new targets for therapeutic intervention in future studies. KW - Tissue Engineering KW - ESWT KW - Spinal Cord Injury Y1 - U6 - http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10071630 VL - 2022 IS - 10(7) SP - 1630 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Feichtinger, Xaver A1 - Heimel, Patrick A1 - Tangl, Stefan A1 - Keibl, Claudia A1 - Nürnberger, Sylvia A1 - Schanda, Jakob Emanuel A1 - Hercher, David A1 - Kocijan, Roland A1 - Redl, Heinz A1 - Grillari, Johannes A1 - Fialka, Christian A1 - Mittermayr, Rainer T1 - Improved biomechanics in experimental chronic rotator cuff repair after shockwaves is not reflected by bone microarchitecture JF - PLoS One KW - chronic rotator cuff repair KW - bone microarchitecture Y1 - U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262294 VL - 17 IS - 1 ER -