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Table 1: Estimation of vibrissae function recovery. Vibrissae performance in unoperated rats (Group 1: Intact), in rats after transection of the right facial nerve followed by entubulation with collagen only (Group 2: Collagen), with collagen plus neonatal Schwann cells (Group 3: Collagen + naive SCs), or with collagen plus genetically modified SCs (Groups 4 and 5). In groups 6–9 entubulations were followed by manual mechanical stimulation (MS) of the vibrissal muscles.

Group of animals Frequency (in Hz) Angle at maximal protraction (in degrees) Amplitude (in degrees) Angular velocity during protraction (in degrees/sec) (1) Intact SD rats $6.0\pm 0.9\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $60\pm 15\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $47\pm 18$ $635\pm 395\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ (2) Collagen only $5.4\pm 1.2\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $93\pm 16$ * $15\pm 9$ * $213\pm 44$ * (3) Collagen + neonatal, naive SCs $6.0\pm 0.7\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $90\pm 8$ * $16\pm 9$ * $140\pm 90$ * (4) Collagen + SC-FGF-$2^{18\text{kD}}$ $6.0\pm 0.5\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $91\pm 8$ * $19\pm 4$ * $238\pm 164$ * (5) Collagen + SC-FGF-$2^{21/23\text{kD}}$ $6.0\pm 0.6\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $96\pm 10$ * $11\pm 4$ * $109\pm 62$ * (6) Collagen only + MS $5.8\pm 1.6\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $93\pm 19$ * $20\pm 8$ * $295\pm 78$ * (7) Collagen + neonatal, naive SCs + MS $7.4\pm 1.3\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $97\pm 18$ * $16\pm 9$ * $238\pm 54$ * (8) Collagen + SC-FGF-$2^{18\text{kD}}$ + MS $6.4\pm 0.9\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $96\pm 12$ * $15\pm 8$ * $240\pm 96$ * (9) Collagen + SC-FGF-$2^{21/23\text{kD}}$ + MS $6.2\pm 0.6\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}}$ $96\pm 16$ * $19\pm 7$ * $307\pm 98$ *

*Significant differences of group mean values (ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey’s test, $P<.05$) from intact rats.