Mesenchymal stem cells transplantation in the treatment of spinal cord injury in adult rats

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) transplantation in the treatment of spinal cord injury in adult rats.Methods: Thirty-two adult female SD rats were selected,two of the rats were used for the extraction of mesenchymal stem cells,and the rest were divided into 3 groups: MSCs transplantation group(n=10),phosphate buffer group(n=10) and control group(n=10).The MSCs were isolated,cultured,passaged,labeled by Hoechst33342,and injected into injured spinal cord 1 week after injury.Immunofluorescence technology was taken to explore the existence and differentiation of MSCsg in vivo.During 1 to 6 weeks after MSCs transplantation,Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan(BBB) scores were recorded to evaluate the functional recovery of the hindlimbs in each group.Results: The BBB scores in MSCs transplantation group were much higher than those of the other groups.The immunofluorescence revealed that most of the transplanted cells could survive in vitro.Expressions of neuro-specific enolase(NSE) and neurofilament(NF-200) were positive in most cells,but the GFAP expression was positive in a few cells.Conclusion: The transplated mesenchymal stem cells can be transformed into neuron-like cells,and the cells can contribute to the functional recovery of injured spinal cord in rats.