Nasal OEC transplantation promotes respiratory recovery in a subchronic rat model of cervical spinal cord contusion
Abstract
Engraftment of nasal olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) is considered as a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord repair and one clinical trial has already been initiated. However, while the vast majority of fundamental studies were focused on the recovery of locomotor function, the efficiency of this cellular tool for repairing respiratory motor dysfunction, which affects more than half of paraplegic/tetraplegic patients, remains unknown. Using a rat model that mimics the mechanisms encountered after a cervical contusion that induces a persistent hemi-diaphragmatic paralysis, we assessed the therapeutic efficiency of a delayed transplantation (2 weeks post-contusion) of nasal OECs within the injured spinal cord. Functional recovery was quantified with respiratory behavior tests, diaphragmatic electromyography and neuro-electrophysiological recording of the phrenic motoneurons while axogenesis was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. We show that 3 months post-transplantation, nasal OECs improve i) breathing movements, ii) activities of the ipsilateral diaphragm and corresponding phrenic nerve, and iii) axonal sprouting in the injury site. We also demonstrate that this functional partial recovery is mediated by the rest...Continue Reading
References
Specific expression of an HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope and NCAM on femoral nerve Schwann cells in mice
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Astrocytes
Astrocytes are glial cells that support the blood-brain barrier, facilitate neurotransmission, provide nutrients to neurons, and help repair damaged nervous tissues. Here is the latest research.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.