title: Electroacupuncture-enhanced differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into neuronal cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) can be differentiated into neuronal cells and are used to treat spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether electroacupuncture enhances BMSC's effects on SCI in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of transplantation of phosphate-buffered saline or BMSC, electroacupuncture, and a combination of BMSC transplantation and electroacupuncture on SCI were evaluated using a combined behavioral score (CBS). Expressions of neuronal marker neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and gliocyte-specific marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) of transplanted BMSC were detected using immunohistochemistry to assess the effect of electroacupuncture on differentiation of BMSC into neuronal cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination of BMSC transplantation and electroacupuncture significantly alleviated CBS in rats with SCI compared with the separate treatment of BMSC or electroacupuncture. In addition, electroacupuncture increased the NSE- and GFAP-positive transplanted BMSCs in spinal cord.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined treatment showed a better effect, and the mechanisms may be partially caused by enhanced differentiation of BMSC into neuronal cells. Future studies are needed to confirm this.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Medicine, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China (PRC).
authors.forename: Zhongren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiaoning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mingyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase