Abstract
ObjectivesTo explore whether LIF could promote the proliferation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and to analyze the correlation between increased NPCs and FluoroGold (FG) labeled neurons in mice after spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsMotor behavior was assessed using Rotarod and Platform Hang tests; neurons in the corticospinal and rubrospinal systems were labeled with FG, NPCs were immustained with nestin-FITC conjugate. The numbers of FG-labeled neurons and NPCs were estimated, and the correlation between FG-labeled neurons and NPCs was assessed.ResultsMice in the SCI group showed negligible recovery of locomotor behavior; in contrast, mice in the LIF group showed a statically significant improvement. Both FG-labeled neurons and NPCs were significantly increased in the LIF group compared to the SCI group, and this increase in FG-labeled neurons and NPCs showed a clear association above the lesion level.ConclusionsLIF could promote locomotive behaviors in mice post-SCI by encouraging the proliferation of NPCs; LIF may in fact be a potential cytokine for the induction of NPCs post-SCI.
Highlights
The functional loss after spinal cord injury (SCI) is mainly associated with the irreversible damage of neuron and axon in the spinal cord; the mechanismsPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0116031 December 26, 2014leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and neural precursor cells (NPCs) Proliferation Post SCI underlying functional recovery after injury remain only partially understood
Many studies have focused on the transplantation of stem cells into the central nervous system (CNS) [5] [6] [7, 8]; some other studies have found that endogenous neural precursor cells (NPCs) may be another potential method for function recovery after SCI [9] [10] [11] [12]
From 4th day following SCI, mice in the LIF group (69.38¡15.85) showed a significant improvement compared to the SCI group (4.87¡1.34), and this improvement achieved its maximum by day six despite continuous treatment for fourteen days
Summary
The functional loss after spinal cord injury (SCI) is mainly associated with the irreversible damage of neuron and axon in the spinal cord; the mechanismsPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0116031 December 26, 2014LIF and NPCs Proliferation Post SCI underlying functional recovery after injury remain only partially understood. NPCs have been detected in the CNS of normal mice in many zones, such as olfactory bulb core, hypothalamus, ependymal zones, around the central canal of the spinal cord, throughout the parenchyma of spinal cord, and midline structures of brain and spinal cord [13]. These NPCs are activated in some disease conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases, stroke and brain and spinal cord injury and may function to recover lost neuro-function by remodeling the milieu interne of the lesion zone [14] [15].
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