Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Present studies mainly focused on in vitro culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and cell transplantation for treating intracalvarium diseases. However, the understanding of survival, differentiation, migration and structure of transplanted cells in the damaged spinal cord is limited.
OBJECTIVE: To explore effects of local BMSC transplantation in repair of spinal cord damage and feasibility of replacement therapy of BMSCs.
METHODS: Adult healthy female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to cell transplantation and control groups. Rat models of spinal cord transection damage were established. Rat BMSC suspension or calcium and magnesium phosphate buffer were transplanted immediately after injury to the damage zone. At 1 day, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 weeks before and after transplantation, BBB score motor function was observed in rats, and at 1 week after transplantation, immunohistochemical staining was utilized to observe BrdU-labeled BMSC survival in the spinal cord damaged site. At 4 weeks after transplantation, the general observation and histological detection were observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 1-8 weeks after transplantation, BBB scores were higher in the cell transplantation group than in the control group. At 1 week following surgery, immunohistochemical staining showed that BrdU-positive cells were detected in the distal end of rat spinal cord in the cell transplantation group. At 4 weeks following surgery, nerve fibers were found in the damaged spinal cord. These verified that BMSCs were transplanted into rat damaged spinal cord immediately following damage, and the transplanted cells could survive. Living BMSCs can differentiate into neurons, and formed neuron pathway in the local region of damage, which will promote the recovery of conduction function of spinal nerve fibers, and contribute to the recovery of rat hindlimb motor function following high-level spinal cord injury.