Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
Neuropeptides. 2021 Apr;86:102125. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2021.102125. Epub 2021 Jan 15.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause a variety of cells apoptosis, neurodegeneration, and eventually permanent paralysis. This study aimed to examine whether transplanting human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) can promote locomotor function recovery, reduce apoptosis and inhibit demyelination in SCI models.
Rats were allocated into Sham group (spinal cord exposure only), SCI + PBS group (spinal cord impact plus phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injections), SCI + hucMSCs group (spinal cord impact plus hucMSCs injections) groups. Behavioral tests, Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotion scores (BBB scores), were carried out at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days after SCI surgery. Hematoxylin-eosin staining observed spinal cord morphology. Nissl staining detected the number of nissl bodies. Myelin basic protein (MBP) and oligodendrocyte (CNPase) were examed by immunohistochemical staining. The apoptosis of oligodendrocyte and neurons were detected by immunofluorescence.
The 28-day behavioral test showed that the BBB score of rats in the SCI + hucMSCs group increased significantly, comparing to the SCI + PBS group. The numbers of nissl bodies and myelin sheath in the damaged area of SCI + hucMSCs group were also significantly increased compared to the SCI + PBS group. HucMSCs transplanting decreased the expression of protein level of Caspase-3 and Bax and increased the Bcl-2, MBP and CNPase, rescued the apoptosis of neurons and the oligodendrocyte.
These results showed that hucMSCs can improve motor function, tissue repairing and reducing apoptosis in SCI rats.
脊髓损伤（SCI）可导致多种细胞凋亡、神经退行性变，最终导致永久性瘫痪。本研究旨在探讨人脐带间充质干细胞（hucMSCs）移植是否能促进 SCI 模型运动功能的恢复，减少细胞凋亡，抑制脱髓鞘。
将大鼠分为假手术组（脊髓暴露）、SCI+PBS 组（脊髓打击伤+磷酸盐缓冲液（PBS）注射）、SCI+hucMSCs 组（脊髓打击伤+hucMSCs 注射）。SCI 手术后 0、3、7、14、21、28 天进行行为学测试，Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan 运动评分（BBB 评分）。苏木精-伊红染色观察脊髓形态。尼氏染色检测尼氏体数量。免疫组织化学染色检测髓鞘碱性蛋白（MBP）和少突胶质细胞（CNPase）。免疫荧光检测少突胶质细胞和神经元的凋亡。
28 天行为学测试显示，SCI+hucMSCs 组大鼠 BBB 评分明显高于 SCI+PBS 组。与 SCI+PBS 组相比，SCI+hucMSCs 组损伤区尼氏体和髓鞘数量明显增加。hucMSCs 移植可降低 Caspase-3 和 Bax 蛋白水平的表达，增加 Bcl-2、MBP 和 CNPase 的表达，挽救神经元和少突胶质细胞的凋亡。
这些结果表明，hucMSCs 可改善 SCI 大鼠的运动功能、组织修复和减少细胞凋亡。
