Morphology by Grafted Cell of Spinal Cord Region from Infarction Surgery

Abstract

Recovery in central nervous system (CNS) disorders is hindered by the limited ability of the system to regenerate lost cells, replace damaged myelin, and re-establish functional neural connections. Cell transplants are being actively researched for treatment of CNS injuries. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of transplanted mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) on spinal cord injuries in rats. The spinal cord injuries were produced by clip compression device. The transplants were made on the seventh day after the injuries. The injury areas of cavity volumes were smaller in the transplant group than they were for the non-transplant group. Immunohistochemical study revealed that the transplanted mESC infiltrated into the injured areas of the injuries, but the transplanted mESC were not differentiated into glial or neuronal cells. In the previous studies, no mESC was differentiated into GFAPpositive astrocytes or NF (or tubulin) positive neurons. Most mESC were of an undifferentiated cell type. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) have previously been identified in both the mammalian brain and spinal cord. Non-transplant animals with BBB scores less than 7 showed the formation of large cavities. The spinal cords of mESC-transplant animals had cavities much smaller than those of non-transplant animals. These results suggested that mESC-transplant reduced the formation of cavities after injury in the SCI model. Considering that mESC can be used for autologous transplant, the results of the present study suggest that the transplant of mESC may be used for the treatment of spinal cord injuries [1-4].