title: [Motor function evaluation in rats receiving umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell transplantation for traumatic brain injury using CatWalk automated gait analysis system].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of CatWalk automated gait analysis system for evaluation of motor function of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell (UC-MSC) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen Wistar rats were randomized equally into normal control group, TBI ∓ saline group, and TBI ∓ UC-MSCs group. The rats in the latter two groups were subjected to weight-drop impact to induce TBI followed by injection UC-MSCs or saline into the lesion 7 days after TBI. The neurological function was assessed using CatWalk system and modified neurological severity scores (mNSS) before and 3 days after TBI and 7 days after UC-MSC transplantation. The rats were sacrificed 14 days after the cell transplantation and the brain sections were stained for immunohistochemical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three days after TBI, mNSS test showed moderate injury of the rats. Seven days after the cell transplantation, the rats showed significant motor function improvement and CatWalk analysis indicated partial recovery of the gait parameters of the 4 limbs compared to the rats with saline treatment. Histological analyses showed that DiO-labeled UC-MSCs were present in the lesion boundary and expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein and β-tubulin III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UC-MSC transplantation can promote functional improvement of the brain after TBI in rats. Compared with mNSS test, CatWalk analysis is more sensitive and objective for assessing neurological function and also provides more detailed information on specific gait parameters.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Institute, Key Laboratory of Brain Function Repair and Regeneration of Guangdong Province, Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. zrah@163.com
authors.forename: Run
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fa
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yingqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Xiaodan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005684:Gait; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology