Application of stem cells alone and in combination with low-level laser therapy for sciatic nerve repair in rats

This study evaluated the efficacy of tubular constructs containing stem cells and Type I collagen, both independently and in conjunction with low-level laser therapy (LLLT), in repairing the sciatic nerve in a rat model. In this animal study, the right sciatic nerve of 30 male Wistar rats, each weighing 250–300 g, was surgically excised to a length of 8 mm. The rats were then randomly allocated to three groups (n = 10 per group). In Group 1, the excised nerve segment was utilized as an autograft and sutured at the defect site. In Group 2, a tubular construct containing stem cells and Type I collagen was used to bridge the proximal and distal ends of the nerve. Group 3 received the same intervention as group 2, supplemented with 5 weeks of LLLT. After 5 and 12 weeks, rats underwent histological, behavioral, and electrophysiological assessments. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni post-hoc test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. At both 5 and 12 weeks, axonal count and nerve repair scores showed no significant differences among the three groups (P > 0.05). Notably, the Sciatic Functional Index (SFI) was the most favorable (lowest) in the autograft group, whereas the stem cell-only group exhibited the least favorable (highest) SFI at 5 weeks (P < 0.001). Additionally, distal latency was highest in the stem cell group and lowest in the stem cell combined with LLLT group at 5 weeks (P < 0.001). A significant difference was observed between the autograft and stem cell plus LLLT groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the application of stem cell-laden tubular constructs in conjunction with LLLT demonstrated efficacy for sciatic nerve repair in rats.