Abstract
Chinese Axonal impairment and demyelination after compressed spinal cord injury lead to serious neurological dysfunction. Increasing studies have suggested that Schwann cells (SCs) transplantation is a reliable, effective, and promising method for treating spinal cord injury. However, single SCs transplantation is insufficient to promote the full recovery of neurological function. Additional approaches are required to support SCs transplantation as a treatment for spinal cord injury. In the study, we investigated whether the combination of electroacupuncture (EA) and SCs transplantation was a reliable intervention for spinal cord injury. We found that rats in the combination group had significantly higher functional locomotor scores than those received single treatment. By immunostaining, we found EA can not only improve survival and proliferation of transplanted SCs but also inhibit SC apoptosis and block the formation of an astrocytic scar. Additionally, EA promoted regenerated axons extending "bullet-shaped" growth cones into the lesion. Remarkably, EA can modify astrogliosis to promote axonal regeneration following SCs transplantation through inducing extension of astrocytic processes in the SCs graft interface. More importantly, the combination of SCs engraftment and EA can enhance corticospinal-tract axonal regeneration and remyelination after spinal cord injury through up-regulating neuregulin 1 type III in SCs and its downstream signaling mediators. Thus, it is concluded that SCs effectively promote axonal recovery after spinal cord injury when combined with EA stimulation. The experimental results have reinforced the theoretical basis of EA for its clinical efficacy in patients with spinal cord injury and merited further investigation for potential clinical application. 脊髓压迫性损伤后, 轴索损伤和脱髓鞘会导致严重的神经功能障碍○ 越来越多的研究表明, 雪 旺细胞 (SCs) 移植治疗脊髓损伤是一种可靠、有效、有前景的方法○ 然而, 单个 SCs 移植一般不足以促进神经功能的完全恢复○ 需要更多的方法来支持 SCs 移植作为脊髓损伤的治疗○ 在本项目中, 我们研究了电针联合 SCs 移植是否对脊髓损伤有可靠的干预作用○ 我们发现联合治疗组大鼠的功能运动评分明显高于单独治疗组○ 通过免疫染色, 我们发现EA不仅可以提高移植 SCs 的存活和增殖, 而且可以抑制 SC 的凋亡和阻止星形细胞疤痕的形成○ 此外, EA还可促进再生轴突向病灶内延伸生长锥 ○ 值得注意的是, EA可以通过诱导星形细胞突起在 SCs 移植界面的延长来改变星形胶质细胞增生, 促进 SCs 移植后的轴突再生○ 更重要的是, SCs 与 EA 联合植入可通过 EA 上调 SCs 里的神经调节蛋白 1 III 及其下游信号, 促进脊髓损伤后皮质脊髓束轴突再生和再髓鞘化○ 由此可见, SCs 联合电针刺激能更有效地促进脊髓损伤后轴突的恢复○ 本实验结果为电针治疗脊髓损伤患者的临床疗效提供了理论基础, 值得进一步研究和临床应用○.