title: A comparative study of gelatin sponge scaffolds and PLGA scaffolds transplanted to completely transected spinal cord of rat.
abstract: This study sought to investigate whether gelatin sponge (GS) scaffold would produce less acidic medium in injured spinal cord, as compared with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold, to determine which of the two scaffolds as the biomaterial is more suitable for transplantation into spinal cord. GS scaffold or PLGA scaffold was transplanted into a transected spinal cord in this study. Two months after transplantation of scaffolds, acid sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) positive cells expressing microtubule associated protein 2 (Map2) were observed as well as expressing adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) in spinal cord. GFAP positive cells were distributed at the rostral and caudal of the injury/graft area in the GS and PLGA groups. Western blot showed ASIC1a and GFAP expression of injured spinal cord was downregulated in the GS group. The number of CD68 positive cells was fewer and NF nerve fibers were more in the GS group. Nissl staining and cell counting showed that the number of survival neurons was comparable between the GS and PLGA groups in the pyramidal layer of sensorimotor cortex and the red nucleus of midbrain. However, in the Clarke's nucleus at L1 spinal segment, the surviving neurons in the GS group were more numerous than that in the PLGA group. H&E staining showed that the tissue cavities in the GS group were smaller in size than that in the PLGA group. The results suggest that GS scaffold is more suitable for transplantation to promote the recovery of spinal cord injury compared with PLGA scaffold.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
authors.forename: Bao-ling
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Chen-guang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Da-ping
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Eng-ang
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Yuan-shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D005260:Female; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; C568268:Asic1 protein, rat; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D005780:Gelatin
keywords: PLGA scaffold; acid sensing ion channel 1a; gelatin sponge scaffold; neuron survival; spinal cord injury