title: Attenuating spinal cord injury by conditioned medium from human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34⁺ cells in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intravenous or intraspinal transplantation of human umbilical cord blood cells-derived CD34(+) cells (human CD34(+) cells) or mesenchymal stem cells after spinal cord injury (SCI) improved hind limb functional recovery in adult rats. The objective of this study is to ascertain whether SCI in rats can be attenuated by conditioned medium (CM) or secretome obtained from cultured human CD34(+) stem cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of the following five groups: the sham group, the SCI group treated with vehicle solution (SCI + V), the SCI group treated with CM (SCI + CM), the SCI group treated with 17β-estradiol E2 (10 μg; SCI + E2), and the SCI group treated with CM plus E2 (SCI + CM + E2). A 0.5-mL volume of CM or vehicle solution was administered intravenously immediately after SCI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the sham group, the (SCI + V) group had significantly higher scores of neurological motor dysfunction as well as inflammation apoptosis, oxidative stress, and astrogliosis in the injured spinal cord. The neurological deficits, numbers of apoptotic cell, extent of inflammation, oxidative stress, and astrogliosis in the injured spinal cord were significantly attenuated by CM, E2, or CM plus E2, but not by the vehicle solution. In addition, the neuroprotective effect exerted by a combination of CM and E2 is superior to that exerted by CM- or E2-alone therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The neuroprotective effects of CM from cultured human CD34(+) cells are similar to those of human CD34(+) cells and the CM was found to enhance the neuroprotective effects of E2 in rat SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Jarn
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research Center, Health Banks Biotech Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Kang
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research Center, Health Banks Biotech Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Da-An Women and Children Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: cshs159@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sheng-Hsien
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D053686:Fetal Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: CD34(+) cells; apoptosis; inflammation; rat; spinal cord injury