Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Complement 5a (C5a) by enhancing the early inflammatory response after spinal cord injury participates in the spinal cord secondary injury. C5a receptor antagonists can effectively block this process.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Schwann cells transplantation and C5a receptor antagonists on repair of rat spinal cord injury.
METHODS: Eighty healthy female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, cell transplantation group, C5a receptor antagonist group and combination group, 20 rats in each group.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The outcome of combination group was superior to the cell transplantation group and the C5a receptor antagonist group, and the cell transplantation group and the C5a receptor antagonist group was superior to the control group (P < 0.05). Cell transplantation group compared with the C5a receptor antagonist was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The SRY expression in cell transplantation group and combined group, in contrast, no SRY gene were detected in control group and the C5a receptor antagonist group. The number of HRP-positive nerve fibers: the combination group > cell transplantation group and C5a receptor antagonist group > control group and the difference between the groups was significant (P < 0.01). Somatosensory evoked potential, motor evoked potential latency, and amplitude were significantly better in the combination group than the other three groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Schwann cell transplantation combined with the C5a receptor antagonist can promote the regeneration of nerve synapses in rats with spinal cord injury, and to improve their motor function, and electrophysiological function.