[Transplantation of human umbilical cord stem cells improves neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study whether intraspinally transplanted human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve neurological functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats.


METHODS
Rats were randomly divided into two groups. One group of rats was subjected to spinal cord left-hemisection and transplanted with human cord blood CD34+ cells labeled by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU); The other group was carried by left-hemisection with injection of PBS (control group). The neurological function was determined before and 24 h, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after spinal cord injury and cell transplantation using the modified Tarlov score. The distribution and differentiation of transplanted human cord blood cells in vivo in rat spinal cord were evaluated by histological and immnuhistochemical analysis.


RESULTS
Functional recovery determined by modified Tarlov score was significantly improved in the group receiving human cord blood CD34+ cells compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, human cord blood CD34+ cells were found to survive in rat spinal cord microenvironment, with the expression of the neural nuclear specific protein (NeuN) in 2% BrdU-reactive human cells and of the astrocytic specific protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in 7% BrdU-reactive human cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraspinally administered human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats. Transplantation of human cord blood cells may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of neural injury.
Li
Hong-jun
HJ
State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology, CAMS and PUMC, Tianjin 300020, China.
Liu
Hai-ying
HY
Zhao
Zong-mao
ZM
Lu
Shi-hong
SH
Yang
Ren-chi
RC
Zhu
Hui-fang
HF
Cai
Ying-lin
YL
Zhang
Qing-jun
QJ
Han
Zhong-chao
ZC
D015110:4-Hydroxycoumarins; D000818:Animals; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
D015110:4-Hydroxycoumarins; D018952:Antigens, CD34; C021636:bromadiolone