Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Many studies showed that neural stem cells (NSC) transplantation can promote functional improvements in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats. However, the activity of proliferation, differentiation and migration of the transplanted NSCs in the injured zone remain poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of NSCs transplantation on the function recovery of rat hind limb with SCI.
METHODS: SD rats were randomized into 3 groups after the animal models of spinal cord completely transsected at T10 had been established for 1 week. Control injuried group only exposed spinal cord; 10 μL DMEM/F12 fluid and 10 μL NSCs (1.0×109/L) were transplanted into the caulal zone of the spinal cord in the transplantation control and NSCs groups, respectively. The function repair was evaluated by Bundle branch block (BBB) score and pathology; Imunnoflurore-scence technique was used to detect the surviveal, migration and differentiation of the Brdu-labeled cells in vivo.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A cultivation of NSCs derived from rat hampocampus on proliferation and differentiation in vitro was established successfully; The BBB scores of the transplantation control and NSCs groups were increased with time prolonged, which was more greater in the NSCs group from 2 weeks after transplantation (P < 0.05); NSCs could continue survive and migrate into the injured parts in vivo after transplantation, and some of them could differentiated into NF-200 and the glial fibriuary acidic protein positive cells that had characteristics of neuron or astroglia. It suggested that NSCs transplantation is an effective method to repair SCI in rats.