ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tissue-engineered spinal cord has brought new treatment ideas for spinal cord repair.OBJECTIVE: To construct the tissue-engineered spinal cord by chitosan alginate scaffold and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs), and to investigate its repairing effects on acute spinal cord injury in rats.METHODS: The spinal cord hemisection model was established in 48 Sprague-Dawley rats and then, rat models were randomly divided into four groups: model group, scaffold group, ADMSCs group and tissue-engineered spinal cord group,followed by direct suturing of the dura mater, implantation of chitosan alginate scaffold, implantation of ADMSCs, and implantation of tissue-engineered spinal cord, respectively. The limb motor function of rats was evaluated based on the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score at 1, 3, 7 weeks after transplantation. Immunofluorescence staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining of the spinal cord specimens were performed at 7 weeks after transplantation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Motor function of the hind limb: At 3 and 7 weeks after transplantation, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score was highest in the tissue-engineered spinal cord followed, followed by the ADMSCs and scaffold groups, and lowest in the model group (P < 0.05). (2) Immunofluorescence and hematoxylin-eosin staining: in the model group, the spinal cord injury area was infiltrated with a large number of fibroblasts and inflammatory cells. In the scaffold group, there was no scar formation; neuron-specific enolase-positive cells, glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells and a few neurofilament protein 200-positive cells were found in the junctional area. In the ADMSCs group, the spinal cord injury area was filled with scar tissue, and a large number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells were found. In the tissue-engineered spinal cord group, there was no scar tissue, and there were a large number of neuron-specific enolase-positive cells, a small amount of CM-Dil-labeled ADMSCs and more glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells. Neurofilament protein 200 positive cells were connected to each other at the junction. These findings indicate that the tissue-engineered spinal cord constructed by chitosan alginate scaffold and ADMSCs can promote spinal cord repair after acute spinal cord injury.
ABSTRACT
Background Studies showed that traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) can activate and induce immuno-inflammatory response,while T helper cell 17 (Th17), a CD4+ T lymphocyte, is associated with immunoinflammatory response.However,the effects of Th17 on the development of TON are unclear.Objective This study was to observe the changes of Th17 lymphocytes in spleen and the expression of interleukin-17 (IL-7) in retina in TON rats.Methods Seventy male 4-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham operation group and TON 1-, 3-,7-, 14-and 28-day group according to random number table.The optical nerves of the right eyes were exposed and impacted at a 25° angle by using fluid percussion injury (FPI) device with the average force (699.1±60.8) kPa to create the TON models in the TON groups,and only optical nerves were exposed in the sham operation group.Flash visual evoked potential (F-VEP) was recorded and the amplitude and latency were measured to evaluate the function of optical nerves of the rats.The rat splenocyte suspension in various groups was prepared for the detection of Th17 cells by flow cytometry, and the expression of IL-17 protein was detected by immunochemistry.Results No significant differences were found in the amplitudes and latencies of P2 wave, proportion of Th17 cells and the IL-17 positive cell numbers in retina between the normal control group and sham operation group (P =0.829,0.830,0.856,0.496).The amplitudes of P2 wave were significantly lower, and the latencies of P2 wave were significantly longer in the TON groups than those in the sham operation group (all at P＜ 0.05).The proportions of Th17 positive CD4+ T lymphocytes were (0.94±0.13)％,(1.80±0.18)％,(1.98± 0.20)％ ,(2.34±0.20)％ ,(2.11±0.13)％ ,(1.92±0.18)％ in the sham operation group,TON 1-day group,TON 3-day group,TON 7-day group,TON 14-day group and TON 28-day group, respectively, showing significant differences between the sham operation group and various TON groups (all at P＜0.05).In addition, the IL-17 positive cell numbers in retina were 796.326 ± 100.028, 1 673.416 ± 188.021,1 892.431 ± 151.026,2 420.454 ± 256.024,1 996.429±177.022 and 1 629.410±127.023 in the sham operation group,TON 1-day group,TON 3-day group,TON 7-day group,TON 14-day group and TON 28-day group, respectively, showing significant differences between the sham operation group and various TON groups (all at P＜0.05).Conclusions In rats of TON, the proportion of Th17 cell in splenocytes and the expressions of IL-17 in retina are increased,suggesting that Th17 and IL-17 participate in the progression of TON.
ABSTRACT
Primary hypertension is one of the common chronic diseases, as well as the key disease for prevention and treatment by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The authors searched and analyzed RCTs studies on primary hyper-tension treatment with acupuncture in the PubMed. It showed that primary hypertension treatment with acupuncture abroad had high quality methodologies. However, the deficiencies of TCM theories in the treatment plan in these studies were the same as RCTs of acupuncture treatment design of other diseases. It may due to the insufficiency of TCM knowledge and culture differences of researchers aboard. Besides, the small sample amount, various interven-tions, no blank control, and the using of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure most of the time, may difficult to objec-tively evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture. Therefore, our research team will carry out high quality RCT stud-ies under the guidance of TCM theories of meridians and syndrome differentiation to further discuss the specificity of acupoints.