Effect of neuroglobin gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on spinal cord injury in rats

Abstract

Objective To observe the protective effect of neuroglobin gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)on spinal cord injury(SCI)in rats and explore the mechanism. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into saline group, BMSCs group, Neuroglobin(Ngb)/BMSCs group and blank group, given saline, BMSCs-culture medium, BMSCs-culture medium infected with Ngb after SCI,and nothing respectively.Measurements were evaluated by the Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB)scores at 1st,3rd,7th,14th and 21st day separately Results The BBB scores at 1st and 3rd day in each group were as follows:blank group(2. 76±0. 50,and 3. 70±0. 76),saline group(2. 72±0. 53,and 4. 06±0. 77), BMSCs group(2. 76±0. 71,and 4. 13±0. 76),and Ngb/BMSCs group(2. 79±4. 20,and 4. 20±0. 82). There was no significant difference among groups. At 7th, 14th and 21st day, the BBB scores in each group were gradually increased:blank group(5. 22±0. 64,6. 16±0. 78,and 7. 54±0. 90), saline group(5. 72±0. 94, 7. 61±0. 76, and 10. 87±0. 91), BMSCs group(5. 87±0. 84, 8. 33±0. 94, and 11. 45±1. 02), and Ngb/BMSCs group(6. 52±0. 95, 9. 78±0. 84, and 13. 33±1. 05).There were statistically significant difference between Ngb/BMSCs group and others(P< 0. 05). Conclusion Neuroglobin gene-modified BMSCs can make injured spinal cord supply stable and a high level Ngb in time, which can obviously help recovery of neural function after SCI in rats. Key words: Neuroglobin; Gene modified; Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; Spinal cord injury