Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been identified as highly versatile materials in tissue engineering applications; apart from being used for bone repair for many years, they have recently shown promise for the regeneration of peripheral nerves as well. They can be formulated in different shapes and forms (micro-/nanoparticles, micro-/nanofibers, and tubes), thus potentially meeting the diverse requirements for neuroregeneration. Mechanical and biological improvements in three-dimensional (3D) polymeric scaffolds could be easily provided by adding BGs to their composition. Various types of silicate, borate, and phosphate BGs have been examined for use in neuroregeneration. In general, BGs show good compatibility with the nervous system compartments both in vitro and in vivo. Functionalization and surface modification plus doping with therapeutic ions make BGs even more effective in peripheral nerve regeneration. Moreover, the combination of BGs with conductive polymers is suggested to improve neural cell functions at injured sites. Taking advantage of BGs combined with novel technologies in tissue engineering, like 3D printing, can open new horizons in reconstructive approaches for the nervous system. Although there are great potential opportunities in BG-based therapies for peripheral nerve regeneration, more research should still be performed to carefully assess the pros and cons of BGs in neuroregeneration strategies.

Objectives Few studies have examined the molecular alterations in the auditory pathway of infants of diabetic mothers, notwithstanding the fact that maternal diabetes may have an impact on the development of the neonatal peripheral and central nervous systems. Male newborn rats were studied to determine how maternal diabetes affected the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAAα1 and GABAB1) and metabotropic glutamate (mGlu2) receptors in the inferior colliculus (IC) in this research. Methods Female rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a 65 mg/kg dose to develop a model of diabetic mothers. The study population was split into sham, diabetes without treatment, and diabetes with insulin groups. Their male neonatal rats were anesthetized on P0, P7, and P14 after mating and delivery. The receptors’ distribution pattern was studied using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Pairwise comparison in the groups revealed that the GABA receptors (Aα1 and B1) were significantly downregulated in the diabetes without treatment group (p<0.001). Furthermore, pairwise comparison in the groups indicated significant mGlu2 upregulation in the diabetes without treatment group (p<0.001). Regarding the concentration of all receptors, there was no discernible distinction between the diabetes with insulin and sham groups. Conclusions This investigation showed that the concentration of GABAAα1 and GABAB1 receptors decreased significantly over time, whereas the concentration of mGlu2 receptors increased significantly over time in male neonatal rats born to streptozotocin-induced diabetic mothers.

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