Effects of neural stem cells transplantation on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and growth associated protein-43 after the spinal cord injury of rats

Objective:To observe the effects of neural stem cells(NSCs) transplantation on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) and growth associated protein-43(GAP-43) after the spinal cord injury(SCI) of rats,and to investigate the mechanism of repairing the SCI by NSCs transplantation.Method:Neural stem cells were get and cultured from the hippocampus of rat’s embryo and identified by immunocytochemistry.Seven days after the operation of SCI, the authors transplanted the NSCs into the injured site.Sixty adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: spinal cord injury cured with transplants of NSCs to injured site (group A), spinal cord injury received DMEM solution (group B)and control group(group C).Then GAP-43 and BDNF were tested by RT-PCR.By the above means,investigated the mechanism of repairing the SCI after the cell transplantation.Result: Compared with group B, transplantation of NSCs enhanced the expression of BDNFmRNA and GAP-43mRNA and improved the neuron regeneration in the spinal cord of group A.Conclusion:The transplantation of NSCs can repair the injured site and promote the regeneration of axon by enhance of the expression of BDNFmRNA and GAP-43mRNA.It is one of the mechanism of repairing the SCI by NSCs transplantation.