title: Neural stem cell-conditioned medium protects neurons and promotes propriospinal neurons relay neural circuit reconnection after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Human fetal neural stem cells (hNSCs) are used to treat a variety of neurological disorders involving spinal cord injury (SCI). Although their mechanism of action has been attributed to cell substitution, we examined the possibility that NSCs may have neuroprotective activities. The present article studied the action of hNSCs on protecting neurons and promoting corticospinal tract (CST) axon regeneration after SCI. hNSCs were isolated from the cortical tissue of spontaneously aborted human fetuses. The cells were removed from the NSC culture medium to acquire NSCM, thus excluding the effect of cell substitution. Continuous administration of the NSCM after the SCI resulted in extensive growth of the CST in the cervical region and more than tripled the formation of synaptic contacts between CST collaterals and propriospinal interneurons that project from the cervical level of the spinal cord to the lumbar level. NSCM reduced the number of caspase 3-positive apoptotic profiles at 7 days and protected against loss of the neurons 6 weeks after injury. NSCM promoted locomotor recovery with a five-point improvement on the BBB scale in adult rats. Thus, hNSCs help to set up a contour neural circuit via secretory factors, which may be the mechanism for their action in SCI rats. This manuscript is published as part of the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) special issue of Cell Transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jiaren
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiaxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hongsheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents