Electrical stimulation increases schwann cells proliferation inside hyaluronic acid conduits

After nerve injury in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), application of an appropriate electrical stimulation (ES) may increase the rate and success of nerve repair. Tubular structures to mimic nervous tracts have been conducted with promising results. Schwann cells (SCs) are the main supportive cells of neurons in the PNS. In this work, we used hyaluronic acid (HA) tubular scaffolds with SCs and applied two different current intensities (450 μA and 900 μA) in order to study their effects on cells behaviour. Our data showed a beneficial effect of ES on cell number when applying a current of 450 μA. The application of tissue engineering and ES may accelerate and increase functional recovery in the PNS.