Effects of neural stem cells transplantation on corticospinal tract neurons and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials of rats after spinal cord injury

Objective To study the effects of neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation on corticospinal tract neurons and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (CSEP) of rats after spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods 40 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:normal group,SCI group,NSCs group,and BrdU+NSCs group.Rat models with SCI were induced by electrocircuit control spinal cord injuring device.NSCs in logarithmic phage were labeled with BrdU,and the NSCs were transplanted into the injured site after SCI.The survival and immigration of BrdU labeled NSCs were detected by immunohistochemisty,and the function recovery of spinal cord was valued with CSEP.Corticospinal tract neurons were labeled by retrograde transport of the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from the lesion site,and the survival of corticospinal tract neurons were shown by tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) reaction.Results BrdU labeled NSCs were detected in the spinal cord after transplantation in BrdU+NSCs group,in which the number of corticospinal tract neurons labeled by HRP was more than that in SCI group (P0.05),and the latency of CSEP-P wave was obviously shortened (P0.05).There was a negative correlation between the number of corticospinal tract neurons labeled by HRP and the latency of CSEP-P wave (r=-0.914,P0.001).There was no significant difference of these index between NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group (P0.05).Conclusions The transplanted NSCs can survive in the injured site of spinal cord,protect corticospinal tract neurons,and shorten the latency of CSEP-P wave,through which can promote more remarkably functional recovery of hind limb in rats after SCI.