Combined Transplantation of Neural Stem Cells and Olfactory Ensheathing Cells Improves the Motor Function of Rats with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective To investigate the effects of combined transplantation of neural stem cells （NSC） and olfactory ensheathing cells （OEC） on the motor function of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods In three days after a rat model of caudate nucleus hemorrhage was established, NSCs and OEC, NSC, OEC （from embryos of Wistar rats） or normal saline were injected into bematomas of rats in combined transplantation group, NSC group, OEC group, and control group, respectively. Damage of neural function was scored before and in 3, 7, 14, 30 days after operation. Tissue after transplantation was observed by immunocytochemistry staining. Results The scores for the NSC, OEC and co-transplantation groups were significantly lower in 14 and 30 days after operation than in 3 days after operation （P〈0.05）. The scores for the NSC and OEC groups were significantly lower than those for the control group only in 30 days after operation （P〈0.05）, while the difference for the NSC-OEC group was significant in 14 days after operation （P〈0.05）. Immunocytochemistry staining revealed that the transplanted OEC and NSC could survive, migrate and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The number of neural precursor cells was greater in the NSC and combined transplantation groups than in the control group. The number of neurons differentiated from NSC was significantly greater in the co-transplantation group than in the NSC group. Conclusion Co-transplantation of NSC and OEC can promote the repair of injured tissue and improve the motor fimction of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Acetylcholine secretion by motor neuron-like cells from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were isolated by a double enzyme digestion method. The third passage of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells was induced with heparin and/or basic fi- broblast growth factor. Results confirmed that cell morphology did not change after induction with basic fibroblast growth factor alone. However, neuronal morphology was visible, and micro- tubule-associated protein-2 expression and acetylcholine levels increased following induction with heparin alone or heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor. Hb9 and choline acetyl- transferase expression was high following inductive with heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor. Results indicate that the inductive effect of basic fibroblast growth factor alone was not obvious. Heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor noticeably promoted the differen- tiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into motor neuron-like cells. Simultaneously, um- bilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could secrete acetylcholine.

Effects of neural stem cell transplantation on the motor function of rats with contusion spinal cord injuries:a meta-analysis

Objective:To judge the efficacies of neural stem cell(NSC)transplantation on functional recovery following contusion spinal cord injuries(SCIs).Data sources:Studies in which NSCs were transplanted into a clinically relevant,standardized rat model of contusion SCI were identified by searching the PubMed,Embase and Cochrane databases,and the extracted data were analyzed by Stata 14.0.Data selection:Inclusion criteria were that NSCs were used in in vivo animal studies to treat contusion SCIs and that behavioral assessment of locomotor functional recovery was performed using the Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan lo-comotor rating scale.Exclusion criteria included a follow-up of less than 4 weeks and the lack of control groups.Outcome measures:The restoration of motor function was assessed by the Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale.Results:We identified 1756 non-duplicated papers by searching the aforementioned electronic databases,and 30 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria.A total of 37 studies reported in the 30 articles were included in the meta-analysis.The meta-analysis results showed that transplanted NSCs could improve the motor function recovery of rats following contusion SCIs,to a moderate extent(pooled standardized mean difference(SMD)=0.73;95%confidence interval(CI):0.47–1.00;P<0.001).NSCs obtained from different donor species(rat:SMD=0.74;95%CI:0.36–1.13;human:SMD=0.78;95%CI:0.31–1.25),at different donor ages(fetal:SMD=0.67;95%CI:0.43–0.92;adult:SMD=0.86;95%CI:0.50–1.22)and from different origins(brain-derived:SMD=0.59;95%CI:0.27–0.91;spinal cord-derived:SMD=0.51;95%CI:0.22–0.79)had similar efficacies on improved functional recovery;however,adult induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NSCs showed no significant efficacies.Furthermore,the use of higher doses of transplanted NSCs or the administration of immunosuppressive agents did not promote better locomotor function recovery(SMD=0.45;95%CI:0.21–0.70).However,shorter periods between the contusion induction and the NSC transplantation showed slightly higher efficacies(acute:SMD=1.22;95%CI:0.81–1.63;subacute:SMD=0.75;95%CI:0.42–1.09).For chronic injuries,NSC implantation did not significantly improve functional recovery(SMD=0.25;95%CI:–0.16 to 0.65).Conclusion:NSC transplantation alone appears to be a positive yet limited method for the treatment of contusion SCIs.

A tale of motor neurons and CD4＋ T cells： moving forward by looking back

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis （ALS） is a fatal progressive disorder characterized by the selective degeneration of motor neurons （MN）. The impact of peripheral immune status on disease progression and MN survival is becoming increasingly recognized in the ALS research field. In this review, we briefly discuss findings from mouse models of peripheral nerve injury and immunodeficiency to understand how the immune system regulates MN survival. We extend these observations to similar studies in the widely used superoxide dismutase 1 （SOD1） mouse model of ALS. Last, we present future hypotheses to identify potential causative factors that lead to immune dysregulation in ALS. The lessons from preceding work in this area offer new exciting directions to bridge the gap in our current understanding of immune mediated neuroprotection in ALS.

Depletion of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor by Disuse Muscle Atrophy Exacerbates the Degeneration of Alpha Motor Neurons in Caudal Regions Remote from the Spinal Cord Injury

We have been previously reported that disuse muscle atrophy exacerbates both motor neuron (MN) degeneration in caudal regions remote from a spinal cord injury, and decrease in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein level in paralyzed muscle. In this study we found that disuse muscle atrophy exacerbated the decrease in GDNF protein level in the L4/5 spinal cord, which was not immunopositive for GDNF. Our results were consistent with the fact that in the lumbar spinal cord of rats with mid-thoracic contusion, GDNF expression was not detected, while expression of GDNF receptors (GFRα1 and RET) was. Our study showed that administration of exogenous recombinant GDNF into the atrophic muscle partially rescued α-MN degeneration in the L4/5 spinal cord. These results suggest that the depletion of GDNF protein by muscle atrophy exacerbates α-MN degeneration in caudal regions remote from the injury.

Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS） and motor neuron diseases（MNDs） are progressive neurodegenerative diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons（UMNs/LMNs）, brain stem and spinal cord. The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons（MNs）, muscular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3–5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro “disease in dish” and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.

手机镜头马达整盘夹具加工教学设计与实践

选取手机镜头马达夹具作为载体,完成了手机镜头马达夹具的三维建模,确定了基于UG NX软件的加工策略,生成加工轨迹,并解决手机镜头马达夹具的加工难点。经过仿真加工后,后置处理程序准确无误,可以在机床上实际加工。经过数控加工工艺参数优化,该加工工艺方案清晰合理,通过在精雕机床完成手机镜头马达夹具五面加工,加工结果满足使用要求。

中药及间充质干细胞调控免疫反应治疗肌萎缩侧索硬化症的作用机制

背景:肌萎缩侧索硬化为一种进行性神经退行性疾病,常导致大脑和脊髓神经元死亡。肌萎缩侧索硬化发病机制极为复杂,难治率、死亡率高且目前其治疗药物仅有2种,因此开发新治疗方法以改善患者预后迫在眉睫。目的:综述中药及间充质干细胞调控免疫反应治疗肌萎缩侧索硬化的作用机制。方法:以“traditional Chinese medicine,mesenchymal stem cells,ALS,immune response”为英文检索词,以“中药,间充质干细胞,肌萎缩侧索硬化,免疫反应”为中文检索词,检索万方、中国知网、PubMed及Web of Science数据库2010-2023年的相关文献,最终纳入69篇文献进行综述分析。结果与结论:①中药调控免疫反应治疗肌萎缩侧索硬化可总结为5个机制:主要包括冰片和黄芪甲苷等中药促进闭锁小带蛋白1、闭合蛋白5表达重建血液中枢神经系统屏障完整性;复方扶芳藤合剂调节自然杀伤细胞表面受体分子抑制其自身毒性;半枝莲和广藿香等作用补体系统因子抑制其异常激活;雷公藤和钩藤等介导细胞外信号调节激酶1/2衰减诱导型一氧化氮合酶产生而抑制小胶质细胞活化;左归丸、栝蒌根等促进白细胞介素10表达调控T细胞改善免疫环境。②通过现有研究总结了间充质干细胞调控免疫反应治疗肌萎缩侧索硬化可总结为5个机制:减少水通道蛋白4表达和降低内皮型一氧化氮合酶信号传导等方面修复免疫屏障完整性;释放吲哚胺2,3-双加氧酶和前列腺素E2等因子抗自然杀伤细胞毒性;分泌因子H干扰转化酶活性抑制补体系统异常激活;调控CX3CL1/CX3CR1系统轴或分泌转化生长因子β等途径改变小胶质细胞表型抑制其活性;增加白细胞介素10表达或激活STATS磷酸化通路来恢复T细胞功能。③目前中药联合间充质干细胞治疗肌萎缩侧索硬化研究较少,已知的相关研究报道显示,肌萎灵注射液可促进干细胞增殖分化以及补阳还五汤联合骨髓间充质干细胞显著提高血脑屏障完整性,未来还需进一步探讨两者对难治性肌萎缩侧索硬化的协同治疗效果。

氢燃料电池用高速永磁同步电机性能的数值研究

在利用Maxwell方程组推导了高速永磁同步电机的二维电磁场控制方程的基础上,采用Bertotti铁耗分立模型计算电机铁耗,引入雷诺系数计算风摩损耗,用经典计算公式计算绕组铜耗和涡流损耗,以上损耗值转化为体积生热率施加到电机各发热部件作为温度场分析时的热源,并且考虑材料温变特性和定子非晶合金导热系数各向异性,使用流固耦合法建立了高速永磁电机温升预测模型。依据所建模型进行算例分析,应用Maxwell软件和Fluent软件研究了气隙槽宽、槽肩高和气隙长度对电机磁场、温度场的影响,研究表明气隙槽宽对电机磁场影响较小,适当增大气隙槽宽有利于电机散热。

夹脊温针对大鼠急性脊髓半切损伤后细胞自噬及凋亡的研究

目的:研究夹脊温针对脊髓半切损伤模型大鼠细胞自噬及凋亡蛋白表达的影响。方法:64只大鼠采用随机数字表法分为空白组、模型组(脊髓损伤组)、阳性对照组(3-甲基腺票呤(3-Methyladenine, 3-MA)+夹脊温针治疗组)、观察组(夹脊温针治疗组),各组大鼠于造模成功后,分别进行不同干预,每组内又分为7d、14d共2个亚组。采用BBB评分和斜板功能评分评估大鼠运动功能,在7d、14d两个时间点处死大鼠,取脊髓进行尼式染色,采用免疫组织染色法检测Bcl-2蛋白,采用蛋白质免疫印迹法检测LC3、Beclin1和P62蛋白表达。结果:各时间点正常组大鼠的BBB评分和斜板功能评分均高于其他组(P<0.05),观察组高于模型组和对照组(P<0.05)。尼式染色各时间点治疗组大鼠损伤区残存神经元多,模型组、对照组神经元数目减少、神经元密度低。蛋白质免疫印迹法结果显示,术后7d、14d,观察组LC3、Beclin1蛋白表达高于模型组、对照组,P62蛋白表达低于模型组、对照组。免疫组织化学法结果显示术后7d、14d观察组Bcl-2蛋白表达均高于模型组、对照组。结论:夹脊温针通过增强自噬对脊髓半切损伤大鼠发挥神经保护作用,同时可能存在抗凋亡作用从而减轻大鼠脊髓半切损伤。

氢燃料电池载货汽车动力系统设计选型

近年来,随着氢燃料电池技术的快速发展,氢燃料电池功率越来越大,动态性能越来越好,能够满足不同类型的载货汽车需求。文章针对氢燃料电池载货汽车特点,探讨氢燃料电池载货汽车动力系统设计计算选型方法。

Stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy A Web of Science-based literature analysis

OBJECTIVE： To identify global research trends in stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy using a bibliometric analysis of Web of Science. DATA RETRIEVAL： We performed a bibliometric analysis of studies on stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy from 2002 to 2011 retrieved from Web of Science. SELECTION CRITERIA： Inclusion criteria： （a） peer-reviewed published articles on stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy indexed in Web of Science; （b） original research articles, reviews, meeting abstracts, proceedings papers, book chapters, editorial material, and news items; and （c） publication between 2002 and 2011. Exclusion criteria： （a） articles that required manual searching or telephone access; （b） documents that were not published in the public domain; and （c） corrected papers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： （1）Annual publication output; （2） distribution according to subject areas; （3） distribution according to journals; （4） distribution according to country; （5） distribution according to institution; （6） distribution according to institution in China; （7） distribution according to institution that cooperated with Chinese institutions; （8） top-cited articles from 2002 to 2006; （9） top-cited articles from 2007 to 2011. RESULTS： A total of 318 publications on stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy were retrieved from Web of Science from 2002 to 2011, of which almost half derived from American authors and institutes. The number of publications has gradually increased over the past 10 years. Most papers appeared in journals with a focus on gene and molecular research, such as Molecular Therapy, Neuromuscular Disorders, and PLoS One. The 10 most-cited papers from 2002 to 2006 were mostly about different kinds of stem cell transplantation for muscle regeneration, while the 10 most-cited papers from 2007 to 2011 were mostly about new techniques of stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. CONCLUSION： The publications on stem cell transplantation for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy were relatively few. It also needs more research to confirm that stem cell therapy is a reliable treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Transplantation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene-transfected Schwann cells for repairing spinal cord injury

Transfection of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase（h TERT）gene has been shown to increase cell proliferation and enhance tissue repair.In the present study,h TERT was transfected into rat Schwann cells.A rat model of acute spinal cord injury was established by the modified free-falling method.Retrovirus PLXSN was injected at the site of spinal cord injury as a vector to mediate h TERT gene-transfected Schwann cells（1×10^（10）/L;10μL）or Schwann cells（1×10^（10）/L;10μL）without h TERT gene transfection.Between 1 and 4 weeks after model establishment,motor function of the lower limb improved in the h TERT-transfected group compared with the group with non-transfected Schwann cells.Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d UTP nick-end labeling and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results revealed that the number of apoptotic cells,and gene expression of aquaporin 4/9 and matrix metalloproteinase 9/2decreased at the site of injury in both groups;however,the effect improved in the h TERT-transfected group compared with the Schwann cells without h TERT transfection group.Hematoxylin and eosin staining,PKH26 fluorescent labeling,and electrophysiological testing demonstrated that compared with the non-transfected group,spinal cord cavity and motor and sensory evoked potential latencies were reduced,while the number of PKH26-positive cells and the motor and sensory evoked potential amplitude increased at the site of injury in the h TERT-transfected group.These findings suggest that transplantation of h TERT gene-transfected Schwann cells repairs the structure and function of the injured spinal cord.

Propofol injection combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation better improves electrophysiological function in the hindlimb of rats with spinal cord injury than monotherapy

The repair effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on nervous system damage are not satisfactory. Propofol has been shown to protect against spinal cord injury. Therefore, this study sought to explore the therapeutic effects of their combination on spinal cord injury. Rat models of spinal cord injury were established using the weight drop method. Rats were subjected to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantationvia tail vein injection and/or propofol injectionvia tail vein using an infusion pump. Four weeks after cell transplan-tation and/or propofol treatment, the cavity within the spinal cord was reduced. The numbers of PKH-26-positive cells and horseradish peroxidase-positive nerve ifbers apparently increased in the spinal cord. Latencies of somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials in the hindlimb were noticeably shortened, amplitude was increased and hindlimb motor function was obviously improved. Moreover, the combined effects were better than cell transplantation or propofol injection alone. The above data suggest that the combination of propofol injection and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can effectively improve hindlimb electro-physiological function, promote the recovery of motor funtion, and play a neuroprotective role in spinal cord injury in rats.

Transplantation of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cell-induced neural stem cells to treat spinal cord injury

Because of their strong proliferative capacity and multi-potency, placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells have gained interest as a cell source in the field of nerve damage repair. In the present study, human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem ceils were induced to differentiate into neural stem cells, which were then transplanted into the spinal cord after local spinal cord injury in rats. The motor functional recovery and pathological changes in the injured spinal cord were observed for 3 successive weeks. The results showed that human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into neuron-like cells and that induced neural stem cells contribute to the restoration of injured spinal cord without causing transplant rejection. Thus, these cells promote the recovery of motor and sensory functions in a rat model of spinal cord injury. Therefore, human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells may be useful as seed cells during the repair of spinal cord injury.

Transplantation of erythropoietin gene-modified neural stem cells improves the repair of injured spinal cord

The protective effects of erythropoietin on spinal Here, the eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1 cord injury have not been well described. human erythropoietin was transfected into rat neural stem cells cultured in vitro. A rat model of spinal cord injury was established using a free falling object. In the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group, transfected neural stem cells were injected into the rat subarachnoid cavity, while the neural stem cells group was inject- ed with non-transfected neural stem cells. Dulbecco＇s modified Eagle＇s medium/F12 medium was injected into the rats in the spinal cord injury group as a control. At 1-4 weeks post injury, the motor function in the rat lower limbs was best in the human erythropoietin-neural stem ceils group, followed by the neural stem cells group, and lastly the spinal cord injury group. At 72 hours, compared with the spinal cord injury group, the apoptotic index and Caspase-3 gene and protein expressions were apparently decreased, and the bd-2 gene and protein expressions were noticeably increased, in the tissues surrounding the injured region in the human erythro- poietin-neural stem cells group. At 4 weeks, the somatosensory evoked potential latencies were cavities were clearly smaller and the motor and remarkably shorter in the human erythropoi- etin-neural stem cells group and neural stem cells group than those in the spinal cord injury group. These differences were particularly obvious in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group. More CM-Dil-positive cells and horseradish peroxidase-positive nerve fibers and larger amplitude motor and somatosensory evoked potentials were found in the human erythro- poietin-neural stem cells group and neural stem cells group than in the spinal cord injury group. Again, these differences were particularly obvious in the human erythropoietin-neural stem cells group. These data indicate that transplantation of erythropoietin gene-modified neural stem cells into the subarachnoid cavity to help repair spinal cord injury and promote the recovery of spinal cord function better than neural stem cell transplantation alone. These findings may lead to significant improvements in the clinical treatment of spinal cord injuries.

Stem cell treatment and cerebral palsy: Systemic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Perinatal complications may result in life-long morbidities,among which cerebral palsy(CP)is the most severe motor disability.Once developed,CP is a nonprogressive disease with a prevalence of 1-2 per 1000 live births in developed countries.It demands an extensive and multidisciplinary care.Therefore,it is a challenge for our health system and a burden for patients and their families.Recently,stem cell therapy emerged as a promising treatment option and raised hope in patients and their families.AIM The aim is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stem cell treatment in children with CP using a systematic review and meta-analysis METHODS We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed and EMBASE to find randomized controlled clinical trials(RCT)investigating the effect of stem cell transplantation in children with CP.After the review,we performed a randomeffects meta-analysis focusing on the change in gross motor function,which was quantified using the gross motor function measure.We calculated the pooled standardized mean differences of the 6-and/or 12-mo-outcome by the method of Cohen.We quantified the heterogeneity using the I-squared measure.RESULTS We identified a total of 8 RCT for a qualitative review.From the initially selected trials,5 met the criteria and were included in the meta-analysis.Patients’population ranged from 0.5 up to 35 years(n=282).We detected a significant improvement in the gross motor function with a pooled standard mean difference of 0.95(95%confidence interval:0.13-1.76)favoring the stem cell group and a high heterogeneity(I2=90.1%).Serious adverse events were rare and equally distributed among both intervention and control groups.CONCLUSION Stem cell therapy for CP compared with symptomatic standard care only,shows a significant positive effect on the gross motor function,although the magnitude of the improvement is limited.Short-term safety is present and further highquality RCTs are needed.

Edaravone combined with Schwann cell transplantation may repair spinal cord injury in rats

Edaravone has been shown to delay neuronal apoptosis, thereby improving nerve function and the microenvironment after spinal cord injury. Edaravone can provide a favorable environment for theAa：eatment of spinal cord injury using Schwann cell transplantation. This study used rat models of complete spinal cord transection at T9. Six hours later, Schwann cells were transplanted in the head and tail ends of the injury site. Simultaneously, edaravone was injected through the caudal vein. Eight weeks later, the PKH-26-1abeled Schwann cells had survived and migrated to the center of the spinal cord injury region in rats after combined treatment with edaravone and Schwann cells. Moreover, the number of PKH-26-1abeled Schwann cells in the rat spinal cord was more than that in rats undergoing Schwann cell transplantation alone or rats without any treatment. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde tracing revealed that the number of horserad- ish peroxidase-positive nerve fibers was greater in rats treated with edaravone combined with Schwann cells than in rats with Schwann cell transplantation alone. The results demonstrated that lower extremity motor function and neurophysiological function were better in rats treated with edaravone and Schwann cells than in rats with Schwann cell transplantation only. These data confirmed that Schwann cell transplantation combined with edaravone injection promoted the regeneration of nerve fibers of rats with spinal cord injury and improved neurological function.

Differentiation of Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells into neurons in alginate scaffold

Alginate scaffold has been considered as an appropriate biomaterial for promoting the differentiation of embryonic stem cells toward neuronal cell lineage. We hypothesized that alginate scaffold is suitable for culturing Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells（WJMSCs） and can promote the differentiation of WJMSCs into neuron-like cells. In this study, we cultured WJMSCs in a three-dimensional scaffold fabricated by 0.25% alginate and 50 m M Ca Cl2 in the presence of neurogenic medium containing 10 μM retinoic acid and 20 ng/m L basic fibroblast growth factor. These cells were also cultured in conventional two-dimensional culture condition in the presence of neurogenic medium as controls. After 10 days, immunofluorescence staining was performed for detecting β-tubulin（marker for WJMSCs-differentiated neuron） and CD271（motor neuron marker）. β-Tubulin and CD271 expression levels were significantly greater in the WJMSCs cultured in the three-dimensional alginate scaffold than in the conventional two-dimensional culture condition. These findings suggest that three-dimensional alginate scaffold cell culture system can induce neuronal differentiation of WJMSCs effectively.

Electroacupuncture promotes the recovery of motor neuron function in the anterior horn of the injured spinal cord

Acupuncture has been shown to lessen the inflammatory reaction after acute spinal cord injury and reduce secondary injury.However,the mechanism of action remains unclear.In this study,a rat model of spinal cord injury was established by compressing the T8-9 segments using a modified Nystrom method.Twenty-four hours after injury,Zusanli（ST36）,Xuanzhong（GB39）,Futu（ST32）and Sanyinjiao（SP6）were stimulated with electroacupuncture.Rats with spinal cord injury alone were used as controls.At 2,4 and 6 weeks after injury,acetylcholinesterase（ACh E）activity at the site of injury,the number of medium and large neurons in the spinal cord anterior horn,glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor（GDNF）m RNA expression,and Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores were greater in the electroacupuncture group compared with the control group.These results demonstrate that electroacupuncture increases ACh E activity,up-regulates GDNF m RNA expression,and promotes the recovery of motor neuron function in the anterior horn after spinal cord injury.