title: Influence of mononuclear cell therapy on disc degeneration in rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of autologous mononuclear stem cells injections on histological changes of collagen in the fibrous annulus of the intervertebral disk after experimental injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  32 New Zealand rabbits were submitted to intervertebral disk puncture, followed by intradiscal injection of mononuclear cells from the iliac crestversussaline injection in the following time periods: two months after the injury (SC2M and SS2M), two weeks (SC2W and SS2W) immediately after injury (SCCP and SSCP), and without inducing degeneration (SCSP and SSSP). Two months after cell therapy, the animals were euthanized and collagen changes in the intervertebral discs were histologically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in ELAF between SS2W and SS2S groups (p= 0.018). This difference was due to an increase in type I collagen in SS2W group (56.7%) compared to SC2S (13.28%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with mononuclear mesenchymal stem cells reduced changes in the type I and III collagen distribution in rabbits AF degenerated discs up to two weeks after the induction of degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Hospital Universitário Cajuru, Serviço de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Caldonazzo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Fávaro
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Hospital Universitário Cajuru, Serviço de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: André de Oliveira
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Hospital Universitário Cajuru, Serviço de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Roberto Gomes
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Vialle
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Hospital Universitário Cajuru, Serviço de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emiliano Neves
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Vialle
keywords: Cell and tissue-based therapy; Collagen; Histology; Intervertebral disk; Rabbit