Combinational therapy of lithium and human neural stem cells in rat spinal cord contusion model. Issue 11 (19th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mohammadshirazi, Atiyeh; Sadrosadat, Hoda; Jaberi, Razieh; Zareikheirabadi, Masoomeh; Mirsadeghi, Sara; Naghdabadi, Zahra; Ghaneezabadi, Mahdieh; Fardmanesh, Mehdi; Baharvand, Hossein; Kiani, Sahar
• Is Part Of: Journal of cellular physiology. Volume 234:Issue 11(2019:Nov.)
• Page Start: 20742
• Page End: 20754
• Publication Date: 2019-04-19
• Subjects: contusion -- derived neural stem cells -- hNSC -- lithium chloride -- spinal cord injury; Physiology -- Periodicals; Cell physiology -- Periodicals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28680
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9541

Abstract

Abstract: A large number of treatment approaches have been used for spinal cord injury improvement, a medically incurable disorder, and subsequently stem cell transplantation appears to be a promising strategy. The main objective of this study is to ascertain whether combinational therapy of human neural stem cells (hNSCs) together with lithium chloride improves cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation in a rat spinal contusion model, or not. Contusive spinal cord injury was implemented on Wistar male rats. Experimental groups comprised of: control, hNSCs transplanted, lithium chloride (Li), and hNSCs and lithium chloride (hNSCs + Li). In every experimental group, locomotor activity score and motor evoked potential (MEP) were performed to evaluate motor recovery as well as histological assessments to determine mechanisms of improvement. In accordance with our results, the hNSCs + Li and the Li groups showed significant improvement in locomotor scores and MEP. Also, Histological assessments revealed that transplanted hNSCs are capable of differentiation and migration along the spinal cord. Although NESTIN‐positive cells were proliferated significantly in the Lithium group in comparison with control and the hNSCs + Li groups, the quantity of ED1 cells in the hNSCs + Li was significantly larger than the other two groups. Our results demonstrate that combinational therapy of hNSCs with lithium chloride and lithium chloride individually are adequate for ameliorating more than partial functional recovery and endogenous repair in spinal cord‐injured rats.