Eliminating oxidative stress during peripheral nerve regeneration with melatonin loaded nerve conduits

doi:10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.04

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Chinese Journal of Clinical Anatomy ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2) : 137-151. DOI: 10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.04

Eliminating oxidative stress during peripheral nerve regeneration with melatonin loaded nerve conduits

Li Xueqi^1,2, Yang Jiawei^1,2, Wu Yibing³, Cheng Chen⁴, Zhang Chi⁵, Mei Jin^1,2*, Wang Zonghuan¹*

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Abstract

Objective Peripheral nerve injury leads to various degrees of functional defects. Nerve guidance conduits are considered as a new promising scaffold for peripheral nerve repair. However, conventional single-material nerve conduits have shown limited efficacy in protecting cells from posttraumatic inflammation. This study aims to develop a single-process PLGA-based nerve conduit loaded with melatonin to enhance the biological performance of pure PLGA materials by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Methods The PLGA conduit is prepared with dry-jet wet spinning methods. The melatonin is integrated into PLGA conduits directly with the single-step process. Scanning electrical microscope observation, FTIR test, degradation test and drug releasing test were performed to characterize the morphology and physical properties of the nerve conduits. Schwann cells were cultured to test the biocompatibility of the prepared nerve conduits. Oxidative stress was applied on Schwann cell using hydrogen peroxide. Then the protecting effects of the nerve conduits were tested on the hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. SD rat sciatic model was applied to test the conduit in vivo. Results The melatonin is successfully integrated into the nerve conduit with the dry-jet wet spinning method. Cell adhesion and proliferation test of the Schwann cell indicated that the nerve conduits exhibit excellent biocompatibility. While the mitochondrial morphology observation and JC-1 potential detection also showed protecting effects on Mitochondria. The q-PCR analysis showed nerve conduits reduced cellular oxidative stress and inflammatory responses while enhancing cellular proliferation. A marked enhancement on SD rat sciatic nerve regeneration was also observed on melatonin loaded conduits. Conclusions By integrating melatonin into PLGA using the dry-jet wet-spinning technique, the conduit is endowed with multiple functional advantages, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. This approach is expected to create a favorable microenvironment for nerve tissue regeneration and provide a new perspective for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.

Key words

Peripheral nerve repair / / / Nerve conduit / / / Melatonin / / / Mitochondria

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Li Xueqi, Yang Jiawei, Wu Yibing, Cheng Chen, Zhang Chi, Mei Jin, Wang Zonghuan. Eliminating oxidative stress during peripheral nerve regeneration with melatonin loaded nerve conduits[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Anatomy. 2026, 44(2): 137-151 https://doi.org/10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.04

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