Abstract

Currently, peripheral nerve regeneration can be achieved by applying nerve guides after a lesion. These guides should be fabricated from permeable, biodegradable and biocompatible materials that stimulate, orient and preserve the integrity of the axonal fibers. In this investigation, the objective was to evaluate the interaction of Vero cells with the surface of the substrates employed to construct a nerve guide, designed for enhancing nerve regeneration. The analyzed cell seeded material consisted of collagen matrices crosslinked with genipin, porous poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) membranes and polyblends of different range of composition of poly (butylene succinate) and PCL. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the growth and morphology of Vero cells cultivated on these substrates were evaluated. For sample preparation, the traditional method of carbon dioxide (CO2) critical point drying (CPD) was applied, and compared with an alternative method, in which liquids from the sample are removed by evaporation of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) at room temperature. When evaluating the interaction of cells with these materials, it was observed that the porosity of the biopolymer induces a favorable effect in the adhesion process. Also, it was found that drying samples with HMDS was a simple method, in which the cellular structure was preserved, obtaining comparable results, and in some cases, better than those obtained with CPD.