An experimental model for the transplantation of fetal central nervous system cells to the injured spinal cord in rats (original) (raw)
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Journal of Applied Animal Research, 2009
Rakei, S.M., Rahmanian, A., Saffarian, A., Shafeian, R. and Mehrabani, D. 2009. Function recovery after transplantation of fetal brain tissue into injured spinal cord in experimental rats. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 36: 303-306.
Development of a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury and Cellular Transplantation
Transplantation Proceedings, 2005
Background and purpose. Intravenously or intraspinally delivered human umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells and mesenchymal stem cells have been previously shown to improve the functional recovery of spinal cord-injured rats. Obtaining an animal model in the laboratory setting is critical for the development of experimental therapies. We have established a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI) with basic histological and functional evaluations, ready to use for cell transplantation experiments. Methods. In the first phase 10 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to standardize the laminectomy at D9 -D10 without secondary lesions. In a second phase, 28 SD rats were laminectomized and injured at D9 by spinal cord compression for 3 to 5 seconds with an aneurysmal clip. Open-field behavior was assessed at days 2 and 7 postoperatively, and weekly until their sacrifice, using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale. Two weeks postinjury, 14 immunosuppressed rats received a double intraspinal cell transplant of previously frozen UCB mononuclear cells (MNCs). Using a Hamilton syringe, 2.5 ϫ 10 5 unlabelled MNCs in 10 L medium were transplanted, rostrally and caudally to the lesion site. Rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks posttransplant by transcardial perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde, and spinal cords were dissected and further fixated for histological analysis. Results. No wound infections were observed. Thirteen rats developed urinary tract infections and two animals showed autophagia grade 3. We observed a common spontaneous mobility improvement until a certain limit, depending on the degree of lesion and intrinsic characteristics of the animal.
Delayed transplantation of foetal cerebral tissue into injured spinal cord of adult rats
Acta Neurochirurgica, 1992
Delayed transplantation of foetal cerebral tissue into injured spinal cord of adult rats was performed for the purpose of evaluating the usefulness of the procedure for reconstructing the spinal cord and providing motor recovery. Transplanted tissue showed a survival rate greater than 80% and integration with the host tissue. Nerve fibers of the host surrounded the transplanted tissue, penetrating it. Foetal cerebral neurons matured into recipient spinal cord, but they were not organized in layers. The experience obtained suggests that delayed transplantation of foetal cerebral tissue into contused spinal cord is useful in morphological spinal cord reconstruction. Nevertheless, at least during the first two months after transplantation, clinical assessment of motor recovery showed no differences between transplanted and nontransplanted rats.
Journal of Neuroscience Research, 2002
Neural progenitor cells, including neural stem cells, are a potential expandable source of graft material for transplantation aimed at repairing the damaged CNS. Here we present the first evidence that in vitro-expanded fetus-derived neurosphere cells were able to generate neurons in vivo and improve motor function upon transplantation into an adult rat spinal-cord-contusion injury model. As the source of graft material, we used a neural stem cell-enriched population that was derived from rat embryonic spinal cord (E14.5) and expanded in vitro by neurosphere formation. Nine days after contusion injury, these neurosphere cells were transplanted into adult rat spinal cord at the injury site. Histological analysis 5 weeks after the transplantation showed that mitotic neurogenesis occurred from the transplanted donor progenitor cells within the adult rat spinal cord, a nonneurogenic region; that these donor-derived neurons extended their processes into the host tissues; and that the neurites formed synaptic structures. Furthermore, analysis of motor behavior using a skilled reaching task indicated that the treated rats showed functional recovery. These results indicate that in vitro-expanded neurosphere cells derived from the fetal spinal cord are a potential source for transplantable material for treatment of spinal cord injury. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Scientific reports, 2015
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in neural loss and consequently motor and sensory impairment below the injury. There are currently no effective therapies for the treatment of traumatic SCI in humans. Various animal models have been developed to mimic human SCI. Widely used animal models of SCI are complete or partial transection or experimental contusion and compression, with both bearing controversy as to which one more appropriately reproduces the human SCI functional consequences. Here we present in details the widely used procedure of complete spinal cord transection as a faithful animal model to investigate neural and functional repair of the damaged tissue by exogenous human transplanted cells. This injury model offers the advantage of complete damage to a spinal cord at a defined place and time, is relatively simple to standardize and is highly reproducible.
Turkish Neurosurgery, 2010
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the transplantation of fetal umbilical cord tissue cells as a source of stem cells into the acutely injured spinal cord would produce some regenerations and/or functional recovery in a rat model of spinal cord injury. MATERIAL and METHODS: Material and Methods: Five pregnant albino Wistar rats of 12 days gestation were used for obtaining an umbilical cord cell graft. At the second stage of the experiment only Th8-Th9 laminectomy was performed in Group A animals while Group B animals underwent spinal cord hemitransection. The cultured fetal umbilical cord cells coated with Alginate Gel were placed into the lesion cavity immediately after surgery in Group C animals. Group D animals received only Alginate gel sponges into the injured area. All experiment groups were analyzed histologically and immunohistochemically (GFAP, Ki-67, and Pan cadherin) and for motor function after surgery. RESULTS: Results: The umbilical cord cell transplanted animals showed a significant motor recovery compared to non-transplanted animals at 8 and 21 days after spinal cord injury (p =0.008). Significant GFAP and Ki-67 expressions were noted in transplanted animals (p=0.048) suggesting astroglial proliferation. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the possibility of some functional recovery after umbilical cord cell transplantation following spinal cord injury.
Background: In spinal cord injury, radical treatment is still a persistent hope for patients and clinicians. Our study aimed to determine the different histological changes in central, cranial and caudal sites of compressed spinal cord as a result of neuroectodermal stem cells (NESCs) transplantation in rats. Material and methods: For extraction of NESCs, future brains were extracted from mice embryos (10-days old) and cultured. Eighty, male rats were divided randomly into control, sham (20 rats each); while 40 rats were subjected to compressed spinal cord injury (CSCI). Seven days after spinal cord injury, rats were subdivided into 2 groups (20 rats each); an untreated and treated with NESCs injected cranial and caudal to the site of the spinal cord injury. Rats were sacrificed 4 weeks after transplantations of NESCs and specimens from the spinal cord at the central, cranial and caudal to site of spinal cord injury were proceeded to be stained with haematoxylin & eosin, osmic...
Regenerative Medicine, 2007
Endogenous repair after injury in the adult CNS is limited by a number of factors including cellular loss, inflammation, cavitation and glial scarring. Spinal cord neural progenitor cells (SCNPCs) may provide a valuable cellular source for promoting repair following spinal cord injury. SCNPCs are multipotent, can be expanded in vitro, have the capacity to differentiate into CNS cell lineages and are capable of long-term survival following transplantation. Aims & Method: To determine the extent to which SCNPCs may contribute to spinal cord repair SCNPCs isolated from rat fetal spinal cord were expanded ex vivo and transplanted into the adult rat spinal cord after a dorsal column crush lesion. Results: The survival and distribution of transplanted cells were examined at 24 h, 1, 2 and 6 weeks after injury. Transplanted cells were identified at all time points, located mainly at the lesion perimeter, indicating good post-transplant cell survival. Furthermore, SCNPCs maintained their ab...