title: The Effects of Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation During the Acute and Subacute Phases Following Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness of rat adipose tissue-derived (rAT) mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation on the functional restoration and regeneration of spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Six of 48 Wistar albino rats were sacrificed to obtain MSCs, and the remaining rats were divided randomly into six groups. SCI was performed using the clip compression method. The control and transplantation groups were injected with physiological saline and a rAT-MSC suspension at the injury sites, respectively. Each animal was evaluated using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) rating system and sacrificed at 28 days post-injury period (p.i.). The regeneration process was evaluated based on immunostaining against β3-tubulin, BDNF, CNTF, and CNPase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  rAT-MSC transplantation into the SCI site substantially improved the tissue regeneration and functional recovery (p < 0.05). However, the rAT-MSC transplantation at 9 days p.i. was not more efficient on functional recovery than the transplantation immediately after injury. The expression of β3-tubulin, BDNF and CNTF at the injury site indicated the potential for functional regeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The adaptive nature of rat-MSCs enabled the remodulation and regeneration of the lesion site, decreasing the importance of transplantation time in the treatment of SCI.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.forename: Pulat Akin
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sabanci
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kabatas
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duruksu
authors.forename: Cansu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Subasi
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erguven
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karaoz
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology