TITLE:
Transplantation of Olfactory Mucosa as a Scaffold for Axonal Regeneration Following Spinal Cord Contusion in Rats
AUTHORS:
Koichi Iwatsuki, Toshiki Yoshimine, Yoshiyuki Sankai, Masao Umegaki, Yu-Ichiro Ohnishi, Masahiro Ishihara, Takashi Moriwaki, Noriko Oda
KEYWORDS:
Olfactory Mucosa; Spinal Cord Injury; Transplantation; Scaffold
JOURNAL NAME:
Neuroscience and Medicine,
Vol.4 No.2,
June
18,
2013
ABSTRACT: Object: The inability of the spinal cord to regenerate after
SCI is due to the extremely limited regenerative capacity of most central nervous
system (CNS) axons, along with the hostile environment of the adult CNS, which does
not support axonal growth. It seems that for successful axonal regeneration to take
place, a supportive local environment is required after the injury. We have previously
reported that transplantation of the olfactory mucosa is effective in restoring
functional recovery in rats following spinal cord transaction.
In this study, we examined histological features of olfactory mucosa grafts in rats
subjected to a spinal cord contusion protocol. Respiratory mucosa was utilized as
a control, as we have previously found that respiratory mucosa does not support
neuronal generation. Methods: The rats spinal
cords were crash-injured by dropping a 10-g metal rod from a height of 7.5 cm, and
a couple of weeks later, the injury sites were exposed, and both olfactory and respiratory
mucosae were inserted into the posterior sulcuses of the spinal cord. The each number
of olfactory and mucosa transplanted rats were five. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan
(BBB) score was observed. Immunohistochemical study for neurofilament was performed. Results: Olfactory mucosa transplanted rats following spinal
cord injury can support at least partial hind limb motor recovery compared with
respiratory mucosa transplanted rats and
we identified numerous axons surrounding the transplanted olfactory mucosa cells,
and penetrating the olfactory mucosa at the transplant site. Conclusion: Olfactory mucosa
might be a suitable scaffold for axonal regeneration.