title: Stem cells in the adult rat spinal cord: plasticity after injury and treadmill training exercise.
abstract: Ependymal cells located around the central canal of the adult spinal cord are considered as a source of neural stem cells (NSCs) and represent an interesting pool of endogenous stem cells for repair strategies. Physical exercise is known to increase ependymal cell proliferation, while improving functional recovery. In this work, we further characterized those endogenous NSCs within the normal and injured adult rat spinal cord and investigated the effects of treadmill training using immunohistochemical and behavioral studies. In uninjured untrained rats, Sox-2, a NSC marker, was detected in all ependymal cells of the central canal, and also scattered throughout the parenchyma of the spinal cord. Within the lesion, Sox-2 expression increased transiently, while the number of nestin-positive ependymal cells increased with a concomitant enhancement of proliferation, as indicated by the mitotic markers Ki67 and bromo-deoxyuridine. Exercise, which improved functional recovery and autonomous micturition, maintained nestin expression in both injured and uninjured spinal cords, with a positive correlation between locomotor recovery and the number of nestin-positive cells.
authors.affiliation: GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foret
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quertainmont
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Botman
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouhy
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amabili
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schoenen
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Franzen
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004805:Ependyma / Q000473:pathology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D010455:Peptides; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine