Fetal allogeneic umbilical cord cell transplantation improves motor function in spinal cord-injured rats.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the transplantation of fetal umbilical cord tissue cells as a source of stem cells into the acutely injured spinal cord would produce some regenerations and/or functional recovery in a rat model of spinal cord injury.


METHODS
Five pregnant albino Wistar rats of 12 days gestation were used for obtaining an umbilical cord cell graft. At the second stage of the experiment only Th8-Th9 laminectomy was performed in Group A animals while Group B animals underwent spinal cord hemitransection. The cultured fetal umbilical cord cells coated with Alginate Gel were placed into the lesion cavity immediately after surgery in Group C animals. Group D animals received only Alginate gel sponges into the injured area. All experiment groups were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically (GFAP, Ki-67, and Pan cadherin) and for motor function after surgery.


RESULTS
The umbilical cord cell transplanted animals showed a significant motor recovery compared to non-transplanted animals at 8 and 21 days after spinal cord injury (p=0.008). Significant GFAP and Ki-67 expressions were noted in transplanted animals (p=0.048) suggesting astroglial proliferation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the possibility of some functional recovery after umbilical cord cell transplantation following spinal cord injury.
Erdogan
Bulent
B
Fatih University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, and Ministry of Health, Diskapi Educational and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. uberdogan@yahoo.com
Bavbek
Murad
M
Sahin
Iffet Feride
IF
Caner
Hakan
H
Ozen
Ozlem
O
Denkbas
Emir Baki
EB
Altinors
Mehmet Nur
MN
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D014357:Trypsin; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
D014357:Trypsin