Biocompatible Polyurethane Conduit Grafted with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor‐Loaded Hydrogel Repairs the Peripheral Nerve Defect in Rats

Artificial nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) can be potentially used to address the problems of peripheral nerve defects. The biomaterial polyurethane (PU) has already been used to construct NGCs. However, the use of a combination of PU-based NGCs and other bioactive cues, such as extracellular matrix proteins and growth factors, has not been reported yet. A PU conduit grafted with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded hydrogel (abbreviated as PU/Gel/VEGF conduit) is fabricated. The leachate generated during the use of the PU/Gel/VEGF conduit could facilitate the proliferation, migration, and expression of the neural marker S100β in RSC96 cells (in vitro). The walking track and target muscle are analyzed, and it is observed that PU/Gel/VEGF conduits promote the functional recovery of the injured side. Various histological staining analyses are carried out, and the results reveal that the PU/Gel/VEGF conduit effectively improves the extent of nerve regeneration achieved. The number of blood vessels developed during the regeneration of the axons in the PU/Gel/VEGF group (attributable to the pro-angiogenic effect of the functional NGC) is higher than the number of blood vessels developed in the PU/Gel conduit. Overall, the results indicate that PU/Gel/VEGF conduits could promote the process of peripheral nerve regeneration.