Hyperbaric oxygen combined with Schwann cells transplantation for spinal cord injury in rats:electrophysiological and functional changes of the hind limbs / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve the microenvironment of the injured spinal cord, and hyperbaric oxygen combined with Schwann cel transplantation is expected to improve the therapeutic efficacy on spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Schwann cel transplantation plus hyperbaric oxygen on the neural functional recovery of rats with spinal cord injury. METHODS:A total of 80 female SD rats with spinal cord injury were randomized into 4 groups, with 20 in each groupblank control group, injection of L-DMEM via the tail vein at 6 hours after modeling;cel transplantation group, injection of 3×106 RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The motor function of the lower limbs was better in the combination group than the cel transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen groups, as wel as better in the cel transplantation group and Schwann cel suspension via the tail vein at 6 hours after modeling;hyperbaric oxygen group, hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 1 hour after modeling;combination group, combined therapy of Schwann cel transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen. Inclined plane test, modified Tarlov score, Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score for motor function evaluation of rat hind limbs were performed and measured at 1, 3 days, 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks after treatment. SRY gene expression in the spinal cord was measured at 4 weeks after transplantation using PCR method. Horseradish peroxidase tracer and electroneurophysiology detection was done at 8 weeks after transplantation.hyperbaric oxygen groups than the blank control group. SRY expression was detected in the cel transplantation group and combination group, but not in the blank control group and hyperbaric oxygen group. The number of nerve fibers positive for horseradish peroxidase was higher in the combination group than the cel transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen groups fol owed by the blank control group, and there were significant differences between different groups (P<0.01). In addition, the latencies and amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potential and motor evoked potential in the combination group were also better than those in the other groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). These findings indicate that the combined therapy of Schwann cel transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen can promote the synaptic regeneration, improve limb motor function and electrophysiological function in rats with spinal cord injury, which is superior to hyperbaric oxygen or Schwann cel transplantation alone.