Abstract
This work examines whether microglia-conditioned medium (MCM) is beneficial in stressed spinal cord cells or tissues. MCM was separated into two fractions by 50 kDa molecular cut-off centrifugation. MCM not only promoted survival of neuronal and oligodendroglial cells but effectively reduced LPS stimulation in spinal cord cultures. We further utilized the NYU weight-drop device to induce contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Immediately after dropping the impactor from a height of 25 mm onto thoracic spinal segment, MCM was intrathecally administered. At 6 weeks post-injury, SCI rats receiving MCM > 50 kDa treatment showed significant hind-limb improvement over MCM 50 kDa, of microglia was neuroprotective against spinal cord injury.
Highlights
Microglial cells are immunoreactive cells of nonneural lineage resident in the CNS and play an important role in the physiological and pathological conditions of the brain.After injury to the CNS, microglia are rapidly activated and concentrated at the sites of injury
Microglia/macrophage can become over-activated under certain circumstances and produce an excess of cytotoxic factors like superoxide, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF- ) [4]
The central observation of the present study is that microglia-conditioned medium (MCM) was beneficial/anti-inflammatory to spinal cord cultures as well as to injured spinal cords in vivo
Summary
Microglial cells are immunoreactive cells of nonneural lineage resident in the CNS and play an important role in the physiological and pathological conditions of the brain. A better understanding of the role of microglia and of inflammation in brain/spinal cord injuries is required to develop treatments to prevent nerve damage and improve repair. Microglia/macrophage can become over-activated under certain circumstances and produce an excess of cytotoxic factors like superoxide, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF- ) [4]. These factors are strong inflammatory stimuli and contribute to neuronal loss during chronic inflammation [5]. Our previous studies demonstrated large numbers of activated macrophages present in the injury sites of repaired spinal cords after 10 days [6,7]. Tsai et al / Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology 3 (2012) 524-530 was intrathecally injected to spinal cord after SCI, neurological recovery was improved and spinal cord pathology was reduced
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