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Partial Restoration of Cardiovascular Function by Embryonic Neural Stem Cell Grafts after Complete Spinal Cord Transection

The Journal of Neuroscience, 2013 · DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2851-13.2013 · Published: October 23, 2013

Spinal Cord InjuryCardiovascular ScienceRegenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

High-level spinal cord injury can disrupt the control of the cardiovascular system, leading to unstable blood pressure and heart rate. The researchers transplanted neural stem cells into the damaged spinal cords of rats. They used stem cells derived from the brainstem, which contains neurons that regulate the cardiovascular system, and compared their effects to stem cells from the spinal cord. The study found that brainstem-derived stem cells improved blood pressure and heart rate control after spinal cord injury.

Study Duration
8 weeks
Participants
42 adult female Fischer 344 rats
Evidence Level
Not specified

Key Findings

  • 1
    Grafting brainstem-derived neural stem cells (BS-NSCs) resulted in recovery of basal cardiovascular parameters in rats with complete spinal cord transection.
  • 2
    Both BS-NSC and spinal cord-derived neural stem cell (SC-NSC) grafts alleviated autonomic dysreflexia, a condition characterized by episodes of hypertension and bradycardia.
  • 3
    BS-NSC graft-derived catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons showed long-distance axon growth and innervation of sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs).

Research Summary

This study investigates the potential of embryonic neural stem cell grafts to restore cardiovascular function after complete spinal cord transection in adult rats. The key finding is that brainstem-derived neural stem cells (BS-NSCs), but not spinal cord-derived neural stem cells (SC-NSCs), can restore basal cardiovascular parameters after spinal cord injury. The restoration of cardiovascular function is attributed to the ability of BS-NSCs to extend axons and innervate sympathetic preganglionic neurons, thus re-establishing supraspinal control.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Transplantation of brainstem-derived neural stem cells could be a therapeutic strategy for improving cardiovascular function in individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries.

Restoring Supraspinal Control

The study highlights the importance of restoring supraspinal control over sympathetic preganglionic neurons to improve cardiovascular outcomes after SCI.

Neuronal Relay Mechanism

The findings suggest a novel neuronal relay mechanism in which grafted neurons act as functional relays to restore supraspinal regulation of denervated SPNs.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    The study focused on cardiovascular function and did not investigate sensorimotor recovery due to the potential influence of the telemetric transmitter on motor behavior.
  • 2
    The study was conducted in rats, and further research is needed to determine whether the findings can be translated to humans.
  • 3
    Animals still developed significant responses to colorectal distension.

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