Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury by Magnesium Sulfate Combined with Autologous Activated Schwann Cells Transplantation in Rats

Objective:To observe the effect of magnesium sulfate(MgSO4) intraperitoneally and transplantation of autologous activated schwann cells(AASCs)on the spinal cord injury in Wistar rats.Methods:The hibateral saphenous nerves of rats were ligated directly for 1 week to activate Schwann cells(SCs) and to culture them using the tissue clot method.The clone was passaged continuously for 4 generations and large number of clones was obtained.Then 48 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups,DMEM group(n=12,group A),MgSO4 group(n=12,group B),SCs group(n=12,group C),and combined transplantation group(n=12,group D) before transplantation.The cells were purified to the injured T10 spinal cord of rats(IMPACTOR MODEL-Ⅱtype weight drop apparatus)before transplantation.The recoveries of the lower extremity were observed using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan(BBB)locomotor scoring system.Twelve weeks later,two rats in each group selected at random were injected with 10% biotinylated dextran amine(BDA)in the double cerebra cortex for anterograde labeling of CST.After 2 weeks,these rats were killed and perfused with 4% polyoxymethylene.The spinal cords including the segment of defect were taken out and cut into 5μm thick sections at 0 ℃.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect NF-200 and GFAP.Results:The BBB scores were higher in groups C and D than those in groups A and B.The regenerated nerve fiber stained by BDA was seen in the defected position in groups C and D,but almost nothing in the injured site in groups A and B.There was significant difference in NF-200 and GFAP between groups A,B,C and D,more in group D than those of other groups(P 0.05).Conclusion:Treatment of magnesium sulfate combined with autologous activate schwann cells transplantation can protect injured neuron,and promote regeneration of axon in spinal cord injury site.