title: Grafted Activated Schwann Cells Support Survival of Injured Rat Spinal Cord White Matter.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The influence of cultured Schwann cells on injured spinal cord in rats is examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focal injury of spinal cord white matter at the T10 level was produced using our original non-laminectomy method with a high-pressure air stream. Schwann cells from 7-day predegenerated rat sciatic nerves were cultured, transducted with green fluorescent protein and injected into the cisterna magna (experimental group) 3 times: immediately after spinal cord injury and 3 and 7 days later. Neurons in the brainstem and motor cortex were labeled with FluoroGold (FG) delivered caudally from the injury site a week before the end of the experiment. The functional outcome and morphologic features of neuronal survival were analyzed during a 12-week follow-up. The lesions were visualized and analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging. The maximal distance of expansion of implanted cells in the spinal cord was measured and the number of FG-positive neurons in the brain was counted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats treated with Schwann cells presented significant improvement of locomotor performance and spinal cord morphology compared with the control group. The distance covered by Schwann cells was 7 mm from the epicenter of the injury. The number of brainstem and motor cortex FG-positive neurons in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data show that activated Schwann cells are able to induce the repair of injured spinal cord white matter. The route of application of cells via the cisterna magna seemed to be useful for their delivery in spinal cord injury therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: wmarcol@tlen.pl.
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marcol
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ślusarczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larysz-Brysz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Francuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jędrzejowska-Szypułka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Łabuzek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewin-Kowalik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013346:Subarachnoid Space; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae
keywords: Predegenerated nerves; Schwann cells; Spinal cord injury; Therapy