Therapeutic effects for human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells with methylprednisolone treatment in the contused rat spinal cord

Abstract

Methylprednisolone (MP), a glucocorticoid steroid, has an anti-inflammatory action and seems to inhibit the formation of oxygen free radicals produced during lipid peroxidation in a spinal cord injury (SCI). Currently MP is the standard therapy after acute SCI on reported neurological improvements. The combination therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) for transplantation time (1 d, 7 d, and 30 d) after MP treatment on the axonal regeneration and on the behavioral improvement in SCI was /INS;studied in the rat. The spinal cord was injured by contusion using a weight-drop at the level of T9 and MP (30 mg/kg, i.m., 10 min and 4 h) was acute administered after injury. hUCB-MSCs were labeled GFP and our study was performed the efficacy for transplantation time (1 d, 7 d, and 30 d) of hUCB-MSCs into the boundary zone of injured site. Efficacy was determined by histology, anterograde and retrograde tracing, and behavioral test. We found that hUCB-MSCs with MP treatment exerted a significant beneficial effect by neuroprotection and reducing cavity volume. Also the transplantation of hUCB-MSCs with MP treatment was significantly improved functional recovery. Combined transplantation at 7 d after SCI provided significantly greater efficiency than combined transplantation at 1 d and 30 d. These results suggest that transplantation time window of the hUCB-MSCs with MP treatment give rise to an earlier neuron protection strategy and effect of cell grafting in SCI. Thus our study may be considered as a therapeutic modality for SCI.