Autotransplanting of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells for complete cases of canine paraplegia and loss of pain perception, secondary to intervertebral disc herniation.
OBJECTIVE
Severe intervertebral disc herniation causes complete paraplegia and loss of pain sensation in canines. The prognosis is poor, even when decompression surgery is performed immediately after onset. Studies suggest that bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells will regenerate the injured spinal cord and restore neurologic function. This study was conducted to assess the clinical efficacy of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell autotransplanting in severe cases of canine intervertebral disc herniation.


METHODS
Eighty-two dogs (miniature dachshunds) with severe thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation were used. All had intervertebral disc herniation accompanied by paraplegia and loss of pain perception. In 36 dogs, bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells were autotransplanted to the lesioned spinal cord immediately after decompression surgery. Bone marrow was collected from the proximal humerus and subjected to density gradient centrifugation to isolate the bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells. The remaining 46 dogs (receiving surgical treatment only) were assigned as controls. Therapeutic efficacy was compared based on the rate of ambulatory recovery.


RESULTS
Ambulatory recovery was observed in 88.9% and 56.5% of animals in the bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells and control groups, and a significant difference was found. No complications were found in bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells group.


CONCLUSIONS
Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell transplanting revealed a significant increase in the recovery rate and, as has been reported in rats and humans, bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell autotransplanting shows efficacy in canines as well.
Division of Veterinary Surgery, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, and Aikouishida Animal Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. katsutoshi@vet.name
Katsutoshi
K
Tamura
Yasuji
Y
Harada
Naho
N
Nagashima
Takamasa
T
Itoi
Hirokazu
H
Ishino
Takuya
T
Yogo
Yoshinori
Y
Nezu
Yasushi
Y
Hara
Yoshihisa
Y
Suzuki
Chizuka
C
Ide
Masahiro
M
Tagawa
D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004285:Dogs; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome