title: Transplantation of embryonic spinal cord neurons to the injured distal nerve promotes axonal regeneration after delayed nerve repair.
abstract: Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) usually results in poor functional recovery. Nerve repair is the common clinical treatment for PNI but is always obstructed by the chronic degeneration of the distal stump and muscle. Cell transplantation can alleviate the muscle atrophy after PNI, but the subsequent recovery of the locomotive function is seldom described. In this study, we combined cell transplantation and nerve repair to investigate whether the transplantation of embryonic spinal cord cells could benefit the delayed nerve repair. The experiment consisted of 3 stages: transection of the tibial nerve to induce 'pre-degeneration', a second surgery performed 2 weeks later for transplantation of E14 embryonic spinal cord cells or vehicle (culture medium) at the distal end of the injured nerve, and, 3 months later, the removal of the grafted cells and the cross-suturing of the residual distal end to the proximal end of a freshly cut ipsilateral common peroneal (CP) nerve. Cell survival and fate after the transplantation were investigated, and the functional recovery after the cross-suturing was compared between the groups. The grafted cells could survive and generate motor neurons, extending axons that were subsequently myelinated and forming synapses with the muscle. After the cross-suturing, the axonal regeneration from the proximal stump of the injured CP nerve and the functional recovery of the denervated gastrocnemius muscle were significantly promoted in the group receiving the cells. Our study presents a new perspective indicating that the transplantation of embryonic spinal cord neurons may be a valuable therapeutic strategy for PNI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou 350005, Fujian, China.|School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wenming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou 350005, Fujian, China.|Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Chaofan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Joint Laboratory for CNS Regeneration, Jinan University and The University of Hong Kong, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wai Man
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou 350005, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Yejun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Joint Laboratory for CNS Regeneration, Jinan University and The University of Hong Kong, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.|State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wutian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000502:physiology
keywords: axonal regeneration; embryonic spinal cord neurons; transplantation