简介：Objective:Toinvestigatetheexpressionofneurotrophin-3(NT-3)geneinSchwanncellsofratsciaticnerveintroducedbyanadenovirusvectorinvivo.Methods:ArecombinantadenovirusvectorforNT-3(Ad-NT-3)waspropagatedin293packagingcellsandtiteredwithtissuecultureinfectiousdose50(TCID50).Ad-NT-3wasinjecteddirectlyintotheratsciaticnerveaftertransectionandimmediaterepair.ImmunohistochemicalstainingwasemployedtodeterminetheexpressionofNT-3inSchwanncellsinratsciaticnerveandtheexpressiveintensityofthetissueslicesofthesciaticnervewasmeasuredwithLEICAM550imageanalysissystem.Results:Onthe2nddayafterinjectionofAd-NT-3,positivestainintheSchwanncellswasapparentinthevicinityofanastomosis.NT-3expressionincreasedsignificantlyonthe7thday(P<0.01)andthendecreased14-28daysafterinjection(P<0.01).TherewasnosignificantdifferenceofNT-3expressionbetweenthe14thand28thdaygroups(P>0.05).Comparedwiththe2nddaygroup,the14thand28thdaygroupsstillmaintainedarelativelyhighlevelofNT-3(P<0.01).Intactandrepairednerves,whichwereinjectedwithadenovirusencodingLacZgenes(Ad-LacZ)orphysiologicalsalineservedascontrols,showednoNT-3-positiveSchwanncells.Conclusions:AnadenovirusvectorcanbeusedtoinduceefficientlytheexpressionofNT-3geneinSchwanncellsofratperipheralnervesfollowingnerveinjuryandrepair,whichsuggeststhatneurotrophicfactorscanbeintroducedintoSchwanncellswithanadenovirusvectortopromoteperipheralnerveregeneration.