Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2016, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (45): 6827-6833.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2016.45.021

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Nerve growth factor intervention triggers changes in the neural stem cells of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rats

Wang Xue-jun1, Li Mao2   

  1. 1Department of Neurology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Qinghai Province, Xining 810007, Qinghai Province, China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 276000, Shandong Province, China
  • Revised:2016-10-18 Online:2016-11-04 Published:2016-11-04
  • About author:Wang Xue-jun, Associate chief physician, Department of Neurology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Qinghai Province, Xining 810007, Qinghai Province, China

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Nerve growth factor is a neurotrophic factor that is involved in the cell regulation and promotes the proliferation of neural stem cells.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of nerve growth factor on neural stem cells of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rats.
METHODS: Wistar rats, 3 weeks of age, were randomly divided into control group, encephalomyelitis model group, nerve growth factor treatment group. Rat models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis were made in the latter two groups. On the day of onset, rats in the nerve growth factor treatment group were given intraperitoneal injection of 1 000 U/kg nerve growth factor for 7 continuous days, and rats in the other two groups given no treatment. Effects of nerve growth factor on clinical symptoms of model rats were observed. Expression of Brdu in the subependymal zone and Brdu+/GFAP+ expression in the cortex were detected.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Rat models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis appeared to have encephalomyelitis symptoms successively at the beginning of 10-day immunization, while rats in the control group had no symptoms of encephalomyelitis. In the model group, glial cell hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, damage to vascular endothelial cell proliferation, and perivascular aggregation of inflammatory cells in the rat brain were found, while no abnormal changes in the rat brain were found in the control group. Compared with the model group, the expression of Brdu in the subependymal zone and Brdu+/GFAP+ expression in the cortex were both higher in the model group (P < 0.05), and these expressions were also higher in the nerve growth factor treatment group than the model group at 7 and 21 days after onset (P < 0.05). To conclude, these findings suggest that the rat model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis can be successfully established, and nerve growth factor treatment can improve clinical symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rats by promoting the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells into astrocytes.

 

 

Key words: Stem Cells, Neural Stem Cells, Nerve Growth Factor, Encephalomyelitis, Tissue Engineering

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