Neural stem cells transplantation combined with monosialotetrahexosyl ganglioside for treatment of spinal cord injury in rats

Abstract

Objective To investigate the curative effect of neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation combined with monosialotetrahexosyl ganglioside (GMi) in treatment of acute spinal cord injury in rats. Methods Compressive spinal cord injury model at T8 segment was established in the adult SD rats that were then randomly divided into three groups, ie, control group, NSCs transplantation group and NSCs + GM1 group.Continuous observation was performed at 1,2, 4 and 8 weeks.Functional neurological recovery of the injured spinal cord was evaluated with motor function scale, pathology, transmission electron microscopy and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP). Results The motor function of the lower extremities was recovered at different degrees in three groups.While the motor function recovery level of the animals and the positive staining cells of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the NSCs + GM1 group were higher than those in the other two groups at 4 and 8 weeks (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with control group and NSCs group, focal necrosis and small vessel regeneration were observed only in the center of the injured segment in the NSCs + GM1 group at 8 weeks.Electron microscope scan showed edema under the membrane of the large myelin sheath in the control group, much intact myelin sheath, well-differentiated neurons and many kinds of synapse vesicles in the NSCs + GM1 group.The latent period of SEP was shortened markedly in the NSCs + GM1 group two weeks after transplantation (P ＜0.05).The latent period shortening was apparent in the NSCs group at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation but was still longer than that in the control group. Conclusions Transplantation of neural stem cells combined with use of GM1 can protect the nervous tissues after spinal cord injury, when GM1 reconstructs the spinal cord through promoting differentiation of the transplanted stem cells and linking with the host cells. Key words: Spinal cord injuries; GM1 ganglioside; Neural stem cells