title: Functional recovery after the transplantation of neurally differentiated mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow in a rat model of spinal cord injury.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate functional recovery after the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or neurally differentiated MSCs (NMSCs) derived from bone marrow in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to incomplete SCI using an NYU impactor to create a free drop contusion at the T9 level. The SCI rats were then classified into three groups; MSCs, NMSCs, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated groups. The cells or PBS were administrated 1 week after SCI. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scores were measured at 1-week intervals for 9 weeks. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were also recorded 8 weeks after transplantation. While transplantation of MSCs led to a clear tendency of motor recovery, NMSC-treated rats had significantly improved BBB scores and showed significantly shortened initial latency, N1 latency, and P1 latency of the SSEPs compared to PBS controls. In addition, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-prelabeled MSCs costained for BrdU and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) or myelin basic protein (MBP) were found rostrally and caudally 5 mm each from the epicenter of the necrotic cavity 4 weeks after transplantation. These results suggest that neurally differentiated cells might be an effective therapeutic source for functional recovery after SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department & Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Rae
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yong Rae
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hoi-Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Chang-il
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yoo Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Bae Hwan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jong-Baeck
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009043:Motor Activity; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine