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      

电针刺激对脊髓挫伤模型大鼠神经细胞凋亡的影响

BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture has promoting effects on the functional recovery of the injured spinal cord, can decrease pain, and elevate postoperative effect after acute spinal cord contusion.  OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on apoptosis in the injured site after spinal cord contusion, and analyze its neuroprotective effects on neurological function in rats with spinal cord contusion. METHODS: A total of 66 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into: sham surgery group (n=20), spinal cord contusion group (n=20), electroacupuncture stimulation group (n=20) because six rats were excluded due to modeling failure and death. Before model establishment, at 1, 3 days, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after model establishment, motor functions were evaluated by BBB score and the inclined plate test. At 3 days after model establishment, apoptosis of nerve cells could be detected in the site of injury in each experimental group using TUNEL assay. mRNA and protein expression of bax, bcl-2 and caspase-3 was detected surrounding the injury site using RT-PCR and western blot assay. Morphological changes in the site of injury could be observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The regeneration of nerve fibers was observed using HRP tracing.  RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Motor function score was significantly increased at various time points in the 2nd week of treatment in the electroacupuncture stimulation group than in the spinal cord contusion group (P < 0.05). (2) Apoptotic index was significantly lower in the electroacupuncture stimulation group than in the spinal cord contusion group at 3 days after model establishment (P < 0.05). (3) mRNA and protein expression of bax and caspase-3 was significantly lower in the electroacupuncture stimulation group than in the spinal cord contusion group at 72 hours (P < 0.05); bcl-2 gene and protein expression was significantly higher (P < 0.05). (4) The number of HRP-positive nerve fibers was highest in the sham surgery group, followed by electroacupuncture stimulation group, and lowest in the spinal cord contusion group at 4 weeks (P < 0.05). Results indicated that electroacupuncture plays a protective role on the spinal cord contusion by reducing apoptosis of nerve cells at the site of injury.      

关节突螺钉固定在腰椎前路椎间融合手术中的应用研究

目的探讨分析关节突螺钉固定在腰椎前路椎间融合手术中的应用。方法选择16具尸体标本实施在腰椎前路椎间融合手术,按手术差异区分组别,探究组(n=8)及对比组(n=8),探究组在腰椎前路椎间融合手术基础上加以关节突螺钉固定,对比组实施单纯腰椎前路椎间融合手术。对两组尸体标本术后手术节段刚度情况及椎体活动度情况予以比较。结果经组间比较显示探究组术后手术节段刚度明显优于对比组(P0.05);探究组椎体活动度亦明显优于对比组(P0.05)。结论在腰椎前路椎间融合手术中运用关节突螺钉固定可提升术后机体稳定性,故可作为腰椎疾病首选手术方式。     

内皮祖细胞移植联合早期运动改善脊髓损伤区血管再生及后肢功能

BACKGROUND: Endothelial progenitor cells are widely used in the treatment of various vascular diseases, and early exercise training contributes to restore motor function after spinal cord injury. However, the therapeutic effects of endothelial progenitor cell transplantation or early exercise training alone are unfavorable. OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells combined with early exercise training on blood vessel regeneration and hind limb function in rats after spinal cord injury. METHODS: Eighty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled to establish spinal cord injury models using the modified Allen’s method, and then randomly divided into four groups. Rats were respectively given culture medium via the tail vein, injection of endothelial progenitor cells (3×106) via the tail vein, roller and treadmill trainings for 2 weeks, or injection of endothelial progenitor cells via the tail vein followed by 2 weeks of roller and treadmill trainings in the model, cell transplantation, exercise and combined groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 2 weeks after transplantation, the hindlimb motor function of rats in the combined group was better than that in the cell transplantation group and exercise group, and moreover, the percentage of CM-Dil positive cells, the number of horseradish peroxidase-positive nerve fibers, capillary density and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were also significantly higher in the combined group than the cell transplantation group and exercise group. These findings indicate that early exercise training has a neuroprotective role in spinal cord injury; endothelial progenitor cell transplantation combined with early exercise training can promote regeneration of synapses and blood vessels and improve hindlimb motor function of rats, probably by increasing expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.       

早期运动训练联合神经干细胞移植对脊髓损伤模型大鼠后肢运动功能的影响

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that neural stem cell transplantation combined with exercise training can promote the recovery of hindlimb motor function from spinal cord injury in rats, but its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of early exercise training combined with neural stem cell transplantation on the recovery of hindlimb motor function in rats with spinal cord injury. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats with spinal cord injury were randomly divided into three groups: control group (n=20, given conventional treatment after injury), cell transplantation group (n=20, given neural stem cell transplantation after injury), experimental group, (n=20, given neural stem cell transplantation combined with early exercise training after injury). Recovery of the hindlimb motor function was assessed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test before and at 1, 7, 14, 21 days after injury. Western blot assay was used to detect caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase expression. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was done at 21 days after injury to observe the structure changes of the injured spinal cord. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Scores of Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test were significantly better in the experimental group than the cell transplantation group followed by the control group (P < 0.05). (2) In the control group, the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase was significantly increased at 14 days after injury. In the cell transplantation, the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase was significantly higher than the experimental group (P < 0.05). (3) Pathological inflammation was reduced most in the experimental group followed by the cell transplantation group. In the experimental group, the structure of injured spinal cord was improved and became relatively clear and intact. These findings indicate that neural stem cell transplantation combined with early exercise training can effectively promote the recovery of hindlimb motor function from spinal cord injury in rats, by reducing the expression of caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase and alleviating secondary lesion of the spinal cord.