电针刺激对神经干细胞移植治疗脊髓损伤大鼠后肢功能的影响

背景：单纯的神经干细胞移植对受损脊髓组织的修复作用并不理想,为了进一步提高移植细胞在体内的存活、增殖及定向分化为神经元的比例,必须进一步改善脊髓损伤区的微环境。 目的：观察神经干细胞移植联合电针刺激对脊髓损伤大鼠后肢功能及电生理的影响。 方法：将脊髓损伤模型SD大鼠72只按随机数字表法分为4组：对照组尾静脉注入培养液,神经干细胞组经尾静脉注入等体积神经干细胞悬液,电针刺激组自模型完成6 h起采用督脉加体穴电针1周,联合组尾静脉注射神经干细胞后,同时采用督脉加体穴电针1周。分别于造模前、造模后1,3 d、1-4 周通过BBB评分、斜板试验进行运动功能评定。造模后4周取材行病理切片苏木精-伊红染色,荧光显微镜观测CM-Dil 标记的神经干细胞存活及分布情况,辣根过氧化物酶示踪观察神经纤维再生情况,运动诱发电位和体感诱发电位观察大鼠神经电生理恢复情况。 结果与结论：造模后2-4周大鼠下肢运动功能评价联合组优于神经干细胞组及电针刺激组,神经干细胞组和电针刺激组优于对照组。造模后4周,神经干细胞组和电针刺激组损伤区可见少量神经轴索样结构,脊髓空洞较小,联合组可见较多神经轴索样结构,未见脊髓空洞。造模后4周,CM-Dil 阳性细胞和辣根过氧化物酶阳性神经纤维数：联合组>神经干细胞组与电针刺激组>对照组,各组之间差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05)。运动诱发电位和体感诱发电位的潜伏期：联合组<神经干细胞组与电针刺激组<对照组,各组之间差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05);运动诱发电位和体感诱发电位的波幅：联合组>神经干细胞组与电针刺激组>对照组,各组之间差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05)。结果提示神经干细胞移植的同时联合电针刺激能够促进脊髓损伤大鼠神经突触的再生,改善其大鼠肢体运动功能及电生理功能。中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程      

督脉电针与神经干细胞移植对脊髓全横断大鼠后肢功能恢复的影响

目的探讨督脉电针与神经干细胞移植联合应用对脊髓全横断大鼠后肢运动功能恢复的影响。方法将对照组、神经干细胞移植组(神经干细胞组)、督脉电针组(电针组)和督脉电针 神经干细胞移植组(电针神经干细胞组)大鼠胸10脊髓段做全横断损伤；其中神经干细胞组和电针神经干细胞组在损伤处移植神经干细胞。电针组和电针神经干细胞组在术后开始接受电针治疗。结果1．对照组大鼠后肢完全瘫痪。其余各组均能观察到大鼠后肢的运动。电针神经干细胞组BBB分数高于其他组。2．对照组大鼠后肢不能爬行网格。神经干细胞组2只、电针组3只和电针神经干细胞组5只大鼠能通过爬行网格攀上平台。3．脊髓损伤后，对照组的皮质体感诱发电位或皮质运动诱发电位的潜伏期增长和峰峰值变小。经电针治疗后，电针神经干细胞组的潜伏期和峰峰值均较电针组和神经干细胞组有明显的改善。4．对照组的后肢肌肉发生明显的萎缩，而电针组和电针神经干细胞组的后肢肌肉萎缩较轻。结论督脉电针与神经干细胞移植联合应用能促进脊髓全横断大鼠后肢运动功能的恢复。     

骨髓间充质干细胞移植脊髓全横断模型大鼠运动和体感诱发电位的评价

背景：临床常用皮质运动诱发电位和皮质体感诱发电位来分别评价脊髓损伤后运动传导路和感觉传导路的损伤或修复情况。 目的：以脊髓诱导电位监测骨髓间充质干细胞移植后急性脊髓完全性损伤大鼠下肢神经功能的变化。 方法：选取健康Wistar大鼠50只,分成5组,即生理盐水组、骨髓间充质干细胞移植组、脑源性神经营养因子修饰组、神经营养素3+骨髓间充质干细胞移植组和假手术组。除假手术组外,其余各组均制作Allen’s脊髓完全性损伤动物模型,造模后各组均行相应治疗。治疗后4,8和12周行大鼠后肢运动功能评分,并于造模后24 h,3,7,14 d行运动和体感诱发电位检测。 结果与结论：运动诱发电位检测结果提示,各治疗组的运动功能均有不同程度的恢复,与生理盐水组间差异均有显著性意义(P < 0.05),大鼠后肢BBB评分也证实了各治疗组后肢运动功能明显优于生理盐水组(P < 0.05)。提示经脑源性神经营养因子修饰的骨髓间充质干细胞可移植到脊髓损伤处,可改善大鼠的后肢运动,神经营养素3蛋白有可能提高骨髓间充质干细胞在体内的生存率,促进受损脊髓的轴突再生。     

移植神经干细胞促进脊髓全横断大鼠结构与功能修复的研究

目的 探讨移植神经干细胞对脊髓全横断性大鼠部分结构与功能修复的影响。方法 在脊髓全横断处移植神经干细胞60d后，在横断处下方3mm注射荧光金逆行标记轴突再生的上运动神经元，用免疫组织化学检测神经干细胞在宿主内的分化，同时用体视学方法观测脑干红核和大脑皮质感觉运动区内锥体细胞层的神经元密度变化。用BBB评分法和爬网格法观测大鼠后肢运动功能的恢复等。结果 移植的神经干细胞能在宿主内存活并向前后方向迁移到脊髓内，部分神经干细胞分化为GFAP、NF-200和GAP-43阳性细胞。移植神经干细胞后在红核和感觉运动区内锥体细胞层可见有被荧光金标记的神经元胞体，脊髓横断处附近脊髓组织的溃变程度减轻，红核及躯体感觉运动区内神经元密度高于未移植组，大鼠后肢的自主运动功能明显好于未移植组。结论 神经干细胞移植入损伤脊髓后能分化为神经元及神经胶质细胞，能减轻脊髓的继发性损伤，保护受损伤的神经元，促进运动功能的恢复。     

神经干细胞移植治疗脊髓损伤

背景：研究已证实神经干细胞能促进脊髓损伤大鼠神经功能的恢复,但对移植细胞在体内的增殖、分化、迁移的研究有限。 目的：观察神经干细胞移植对脊髓损伤大鼠后肢运动功能修复的影响。 方法：SD大鼠制成T10脊髓全横断损伤模型,于造模成功后1周采用局部微量注射法。随机数字表法分为3组：损伤对照组仅打开椎管暴露脊髓;移植对照组：注射10 μL DMEM/F12培养液;细胞移植组：造模后移植浓度为1.0×109 L-1的神经干细胞悬液10 μL。移植后通过不同时间点BBB行为评分、病理组织学、免疫荧光技术评价大鼠脊髓功能修复情况及移植细胞在体内的存活、迁移、分化。 结果与结论：在体外成功建立SD大鼠海马源性神经干细胞培养体系;移植对照组、细胞移植组大鼠随着时间延长BBB评分均不同程度提高,从移植后2周起细胞移植组大鼠评分明显高于移植对照组(P < 0.05);神经干细胞移植后能够在体内继续存活、迁移并且分化为NF-200、GFAP表达阳性的神经元及星形胶质细胞。提示神经干细胞移植治疗脊髓损伤是一种有效的方法。     

高压氧联合神经干细胞移植治疗大鼠脊髓损伤

背景：单纯神经干细胞移植已应用于对受损脊髓组织的修复。 目的：以神经干细胞移植同时应用高压氧治疗大鼠脊髓损伤,观察联合作用对脊髓损伤大鼠运动功能恢复的影响。 方法：雌性SD大鼠60只,以半切法制成胸段脊髓半横断大鼠模型。随机分成单纯损伤组、神经干细胞移植组及高压氧治疗组,每组20只。伤后第4周取材行病理切片苏木精-伊红染色及BrdU免疫组织化学染色,第8周取材行辣根过氧化物酶示踪,透射电镜观察轴突的再生情况,通过体感诱发电位观察神经电生理恢复情况。造模后1,2,4,6,8周进行BBB评分和斜板实验等运动功能检测。  结果与结论：观察伤后4周病理切片,单纯损伤组未见神经轴索通过,神经干细胞移植组可见少量神经轴索样结构,高压氧治疗组可见较多神经轴索样结构。BrdU的阳性细胞数及辣根过氧化物酶阳性神经纤维数,高压氧治疗组最多,神经干细胞移植组次之,单纯损伤组最少,且各组之间差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05)。透射电镜下神经干细胞移植组、高压氧治疗组正中横断面可见新生的无髓及有髓神经纤维。高压氧治疗组大鼠体感诱发电位的潜伏期短于神经干细胞移植组,波幅高于神经干细胞移植组(P < 0.05),明显优于单纯损伤组(P < 0.01)。伤后4周神经干细胞移植组、高压氧治疗组大鼠后肢运动功能均有较明显恢复,高压氧治疗组较神经干细胞移植组恢复快(P < 0.05);单纯损伤组亦有所恢复,但程度较轻。提示神经干细胞移植对于脊髓损伤大鼠后肢功能的恢复有促进作用,联合应用高压氧有协同效果。     

骨髓间充质干细胞静脉移植治疗大鼠脊髓损伤

背景：干细胞移植可以重建中枢神经系统的结构和功能,近年来引起了广泛的关注。 目的：尾静脉移植骨髓间充质干细胞观察其对大鼠脊髓损伤修复的影响并探讨其机制。 方法：密度梯度离心法结合贴壁筛选法分离骨髓间充质干细胞。将成年雌性Wistar大鼠以动脉瘤夹钳夹法制备大鼠脊髓损伤模型后随机分为细胞移植组和对照组,分别干预。 结果与结论：细胞移植组大鼠BBB后肢功能评分恢复优于对照组(P < 0.05)。自损伤后第30天开始,细胞移植组大鼠运动诱发电位潜伏期及体感诱发电位P1波潜伏期的恢复均优于对照组(P < 0.05),并持续至实验结束。细胞移植组大鼠脊髓内在损伤中心及头、尾端距离脊髓损伤中心1 cm处均可见阳性细胞。说明尾静脉注射移植骨髓间充质干细胞可以促进脊髓损伤大鼠神经功能恢复,其机制可能与移植细胞迁移到损伤部位,分化为神经元样和神经胶质细胞样细胞,并分泌或促进宿主分泌神经营养因子有关。     

神经生长因子联合神经干细胞移植治疗大鼠脊髓损伤

背景:单纯的神经干细胞移植对受损脊髓组织的修复作用并不理想,研究证实神经生长因子兼有神经元营养和促突起生长双重作用,可以有效的促进脊髓损伤后神经功能的恢复。目的:观察神经干细胞移植联合应用神经生长因子对脊髓损伤后大鼠运动功能恢复的影响。方法:SD大鼠42只,建立急性脊髓损伤模型后随机分成3组,伤后1周于损伤处分别注入培养液、单纯神经干细胞或神经干细胞联合神经生长因子。于伤后1,2,4,6,8周进行BBB评分和斜板实验等运动功能检测。伤后4周取材行病理切片苏木精-伊红染色及BrdU免疫组化染色,伤后8周取材行辣根过氧化物酶示踪观察及体感诱发电位观察神经电生理恢复情况。结果与结论:伤后4周单纯神经干细胞组、神经干细胞联合神经生长因子组大鼠后肢运动功能均有较明显恢复,神经干细胞联合神经生长因子组较单纯神经干细胞组快,差异有显著性意义(P0.05)。培养液组亦有所恢复,但程度较轻。病理切片显示培养液组未见神经轴索通过。单纯神经干细胞组可见少量神经轴索样结构,神经干细胞联合神经生长因子组可见较多神经轴索样结构。BrdU的阳性细胞数及HRP阳性神经纤维数:神经干细胞联合神经生长因子组单纯神经干细胞组培养液组且各组之间差异有显著性意义(P0.01)。神经干细胞联合神经生长因子组大鼠体感诱发电位的潜伏期、波幅优于单纯神经干细胞组(P0.05),明显优于培养液组(P0.01)。结果提示神经干细胞移植对于后肢功能的恢复有促进作用,联合应用神经生长因子有协同效果。     

胶原/丝素蛋白支架联合神经干细胞治疗创伤性脊髓损伤北大核心

背景:随着交通事故、坠落伤、运动损伤等不断增多,创伤性脊髓损伤已成为危及脊髓健康的一个重要问题。目的:探讨胶原/丝素蛋白支架联合神经干细胞治疗创伤性脊髓损伤的疗效。方法:①分别提取胶原和丝素蛋白原料,将二者以质量比2∶4混合,采用真空冷冻干燥法制备胶原/丝素蛋白支架;将第3代GFP小鼠神经干细胞接种至胶原/丝素蛋白支架上,光学显微镜和扫描电镜下观察神经干细胞生长情况。②采用随机数字表达将40只成年SD大鼠分5组,正常组不进行任何处理,模型组建立T10段脊髓缺损模型,干细胞组脊髓缺损处注射神经干细胞,支架组脊髓缺损处植入胶原/丝素蛋白支架,联合组脊髓缺损处植入接种神经干细胞的胶原/丝素蛋白支架,每组8只。术后每周进行旷场实验BBB评分和斜坡实验,术后第8周行神经诱发电位检测、苏木精-伊红和免疫荧光染色,评价创伤性脊髓损伤大鼠恢复情况。结果与结论:①光学显微镜和扫描电镜下观察显示,胶原/丝素蛋白支架上有利于神经干细胞的黏附、伸展与分化。②旷场实验BBB评分和斜坡实验结果显示,脊髓损伤各组大鼠的运动功能随时间的延长均有不同程度的恢复,各治疗组大鼠的运动功能的恢复速度与程度均优于模型组,其中以联合组大鼠运动功能恢复最好。术后第8周,脊髓损伤后各治疗组大鼠的运动诱发电位和体感诱发电位的潜伏期、振幅检测结果均优于模型组(P<0.05),联合组检测结果优于干细胞组、支架组(P<0.05)。术后第8周苏木精-伊红染色显示,模型组大鼠脊髓损伤部位修复效果最差,联合组修复效果最好;免疫荧光染色显示,模型组大鼠脊髓损伤部位神经丝蛋白阳性细胞最少,各治疗组神经丝蛋白阳性细胞均多于模型组,其中以联合组最多。③胶原/丝素蛋白支架联合神经干细胞对创伤性脊髓损伤大鼠双下肢功能改善和脊髓组织修复具有一定效果。     

人尿源性干细胞体外向神经元样细胞诱导分化及对大鼠脊髓损伤的保护作用

文题释义： 人尿源性干细胞：是近年来新发现的成体干细胞,具有自我增殖能力和多向分化能力,可能是细胞治疗或组织工程的一种具有应用前景的种子细胞,其来源于尿液,不受伦理和取材限制,同时提取简便,已逐渐引起学者的青睐,近年来已应用于泌尿系疾病的治疗和修复。 脊髓损伤：由于外界直接或间接因素导致脊髓损伤,在损害的相应节段出现各种运动、感觉和括约肌功能障碍、肌张力异常及病理反射等相应改变。大鼠脊髓损伤模型是模拟人体脊髓损伤的基础模型,该研究采用人尿源性干细胞干预动物脊髓损伤模型,探索人尿源性干细胞对于神经修复的作用。 背景：人尿源性干细胞是近年来新发现的成体干细胞,其来源不受限制,提取简便,具备良好的增殖能力及多向分化潜能,近年来已应用于泌尿系疾病中的神经功能修复,如应激性尿失禁以及膀胱输尿管返流等。 目的：探索人尿源性干细胞向神经元样细胞诱导分化能力及对大鼠脊髓损伤的修复作用。 方法：体外获取人尿源性干细胞后利用流式细胞仪检测其细胞表型,将人尿源性干细胞向神经元样细胞诱导后进行免疫组织化学染色鉴定。采用Allen方法制作大鼠T₉节段脊髓损伤模型,24只SD大鼠被随机分为2组：脊髓损伤组和人尿源性干细胞组,每组12只。人尿源性干细胞组在脊髓损伤后第1天于损伤脊髓边缘注入2 μL细胞浓度为1.0×10¹¹ L^-1人尿源性干细胞,脊髓损伤组注入等量含体积分数为10%胎牛血清的L-DMEM培养液,于造模后第1,10,20,30天进行BBB评分,第30天取各组损伤脊髓组织分别进行Luxol Fast Blue染色、小胶质细胞/巨噬细胞染色和胶质纤维酸性蛋白染色,并计算损伤脊髓面积和胶质纤维酸性蛋白荧光强度。 结果与结论：①人尿源性干细胞高表达CD29、CD90,而低表达CD45,并且在体外可向神经元样细胞诱导分化;②造模后第1,10天两组大鼠BBB评分差异无显著性意义(P > 0.05),第20,30天人尿源性干细胞组BBB评分明显高于脊髓损伤组(P < 0.05);③人尿源性干细胞组脊髓损伤面积明显低于脊髓损伤组(P < 0.05),胶质纤维酸性蛋白染色显示人尿源性干细胞组荧光强度明显低于脊髓损伤组(P < 0.05);④结果表明,人尿源性干细胞能向神经元样细胞分化,并对大鼠脊髓损伤具有修复作用。 ORCID: 0000-0002-4704-2975(邓明) 中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程     

依达拉奉联合神经干细胞移植修复大鼠脊髓损伤

背景：依达拉奉是一种自由基清除药,可以减轻受损神经组织水肿和改善脊髓损伤区微环境。 目的：观察依达拉奉联合神经干细胞移植对大鼠脊髓全横断损伤的修复效果。 方法：成年雌性SD大鼠80只,建立胸9脊髓全横断损伤模型,随机分为4组：对照组不做处理;依达拉奉组脊髓损伤后6 h经尾静脉注射依达拉奉;神经干细胞移植组脊髓损伤后6 h脊髓损伤区域注入神经干细胞悬液;依达拉奉+细胞移植组脊髓损伤后6 h神经干细胞移植的同时尾静脉注射依达拉奉。 结果与结论：造模后8周可观察到PKH-26标记的神经干细胞在体内存活并在脊髓内迁移;细胞移植组和依达拉奉联+细胞移植组可见少量连续性神经纤维通过损伤区。荧光金逆行脊髓追踪显示神经干细胞移植组和依达拉奉+细胞移植组可见被荧光金标记的神经锥体细胞穿越损伤区。PKH-26标记的阳性细胞数及荧光金阳性神经纤维数：依达拉奉+细胞移植组最多,依达拉奉组、神经干细胞移植组次之,对照组最少,各组之间差异有显著性意义(P < 0.05);后肢功能运动BBB评分依次为依达拉奉+细胞移植组>神经干细胞移植组>依达拉奉组>对照组。提示依达拉奉能促进神经干细胞在损伤区的存活并向神经细胞分化,依达拉奉联合神经干细胞移植有促进细胞移植修复大鼠脊髓损伤的效果。     

人骨髓间质干细胞和嗅鞘细胞移植对大鼠急性脊髓损伤功能修复的比较研究

目的对比人骨髓基质细胞(BMSCs)与人胚嗅鞘细胞(OECs)移植对大鼠脊髓损伤功能修复的影响。方法将45只SD大鼠分成脊髓损伤后BMSCs移植组(BMSCs组)、OECs移植组(OECs组)和PBS对照组(PBS组),通过BBB评分、运动诱发电位(MEP)评估脊髓传导功能的改善状况,免疫组织化学方法检测移植细胞存活和分化情况,病理形态学方法观察组织结构修复情况。结果BMSCs组BBB评分高于OECs组(P<0.05);两细胞治疗组MEP潜伏期明显缩短(P<0.05);BMSCs组嗜银染色可见脊髓损伤近端有较多再生纤维向远端延伸,形成神经纤维束,而OECs组再生纤维较少;两种移植细胞均可在损伤处部分存活,BMSCs组可见BMSCs来源的细胞Nestin、NF、GFAP的阳性表达。结论BMSCs移植比OECs移植能更有效促进大鼠急性脊髓损伤修复。     

甲基强的松龙影响脊髓损伤后内源性神经干细胞的迁移

BACKGROUND:After spinal cord injury, endogenous neural stem cells are activated to proliferate and migrate to repair damaged tissue. As a clinical medicine, methylprednisolone shows a lot of functions, but its effects on endogenous neural stem cells are still unknown. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of methylprednisolone on the proliferation and migration of endogenous neural stem cells after spinal cord injury. METHODS:Seventy-five Sprague-Dawley rats were used to make animal models of T10 complete paraplegia using Allen’s method, and randomized into methylprednisolone, normal saline and model groups. Rats in these three groups were given intraperitoneal injection of 1 g/L methylprednisolone solution at a dose of 30 mg/kg for 10 minutes and at a dose of 5.4 mg/kg/h for 23 hours, given intraperitoneal injection of normal saline at the same dose and given no treatment, respectively. Neurological and motor functions were assessed by somatosensory evoked potential and Basso Beattie Bresnahan scores at 7, 14, 21, 28 days after spinal cord injury. BrdU and Nestin staining of the injured spinal cord segment was conducted. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A large amount of BrdU- and Nestin-positive cells were visible in all the groups, and the number of these cells reached the peach at 14 days after spinal cord injury. Methylprednisolone was found to inhibit BrdU-, Nestin- or double-positive cells, indicating methylprednisolone can inhibit the proliferation and migration of endogenous neural stem cells. The results of Basso Beattie Bresnahan scores showed no notable improvement in the motor function of the limbs. Methylprednisolone also showed no significant effects on the motor evoked potential latency, but promoted nerve conduction recovery. All these findings indicate that methylprednisolone has some hindering effects on spinal cord repair by inhibiting the proliferation and migration of endogenous neural stem cells after spinal cord injury.     

胰岛素样生长因子1诱导骨髓间充质干细胞转化为少突胶质细胞移植修复急性脊髓损伤

BACKGROUND:Treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury is a complicated problem, and the reconstruction and remyelination of neural reflex pathways are the essential process, during which oligodendrocytes play an important role in spinal cord injury repair. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of oligodendrocyte transplantation for acute spinal cord injury in rats. METHODS:Insulin-like growth factor 1 induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiating into oligodendrocytes, and those oligodendrocytes were transplanted into rats with acute spinal cord injury as induced cell transplantation group. Simple normal saline and natural oligodendrocytes were transplanted into the rat injured spinal cord as control group and oligodendrocyte group, respectively. Rat behavioral changes were observed by inclined plane test and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores. Neurological recovery and survival of the transplanted cells was detected and observed using spinal evoked potential and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group, BBB scores and the critical elevation angle of the incline plane test significantly increased, latencies of spinal motor and sensory evoked potential were on the decline (P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in above indicators between the two groups at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation. Moreover, survived oligodendrocytes after transplantation could be found in the lesions of spinal cord in both two groups. In conclusion, insulin-like growth factor 1-induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into oligodendrocytes that exact an excellent role in acute spinal cord injury repair after transplantation, which achieve the equal clinical efficacy to the natural oligodendrocytes.     

碱性成纤维细胞生长因子促进脊髓损伤小鼠内源性神经干细胞的增殖

BACKGROUND:So far steroid pulse therapy and surgical decompression are the main accepted therapies for spinal cord injury, but these methods make no effects on injured neurons. Nerve growth factors and endogenous neural stem cells play a role in the neuronal regeneration and remyelination, which provides a new idea for spinal cord injury treatment. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of the basic fibroblast growth factor on proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells after spinal cord injury and to analyze its relationship with the increased fluoro-gold labeled neurons. METHODS:Totally 48 Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups including normal, spinal cord injury, treatment and sham operation groups. Acute spinal cord injury models were established in the spinal cord injury and treatment groups, and the normal group was subjected to operation that did not damage the spinal cord. At 2 hours after regaining consciousness, the treatment group was given daily injection of MTPBS containing 25 μg/kg basic fibroblast growth factors and 1% album. And at 7 days, laminectomy was carried out again at the L1 segment in the former three groups and a small piece of sterile gelfoam soaked with fluoro-gold was inserted into the incision. The sham operation group was given no processing. Afterwards, mouse motor behavior was assessed using Rotarod and Platform Hang tests; neurons in the corticospinal and rubrospinal tracts were labeled with fluoro-gold; the number of endogenous neural stem cells positive for nestin was detected by immunohistochemistry method. Besides, the correlation between the number of fluoro-gold labeled neurons and the number of endogenous neural stem cells was assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The basic fibroblast growth factor could significantly improve the mouse motor behavior after spinal cord injury. And the number of endogenous neural stem cells was significantly increased after the basic fibroblast growth factor injection, which was related to the increased fluoro-gold labeled neurons. In conclusion, basic fibroblast growth factors play an important role in the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells after spinal cord injury. Furthermore, endogenous neural stem cells improve locomotive behaviors by encouraging the neuronal proliferation.     

Cellular prostheses fabricated with motor neurons seeded in self-assembling peptide promotes partial functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats

To evaluate effects of motor neurons prostheses (MN-prosthesis) fabricated with MNs differentiated from neural stem cells of fetal spinal cord seeded in self-assembling peptides (sapeptides) scaffolds on functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Spinal cord hemisection was performed in adult rats. The MN-prosthesis was implanted into the lesion of injured spinal cord. TUNEL staining showed that the MN-prosthesis could decrease the number of apoptotic cells at 2, 4, and 7 days after transplantation. In the MN-prosthesis group, some cholinergic neurons survived within and around the implant, more neural fibers went through the implant from rostral side to caudal side. On day 84, Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score, the peak latencies and amplitudes of N1 wave in both motor evoked potential (MEP) and cortical somatosensory evoked potential (CSEP) on the ipsilateral hind limb in the MN-prosthesis group were also significantly greater than those in the other groups (p<0.05). Thus, implantation of MN-prosthesis increases survival of the damaged cells, promotes formation of connection of neural fibers between the regenerative axons and the host tissue, and improves motor and electrophysiological functions. These findings demonstrate that MN-prosthesis serves as a potential tool for restoring neurologic function after SCI.