The Effects Of Combination Progeterone Application With BMSCs Transplantation On The Recovery Of Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury In Rats

BACKGROUND: Relevant studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (Mesenchymal stem cell, MSCs) in vitro can differentiate into neurons, so generally believed that mesenchymal stem cells can repair spinal cord injury site of nerve function, and its mechanism and mesenchymal stem cells Differentiate into neurons to replace necrotic neurons and the secretion of neurotrophic factors related. Studies have reported gender on the prognosis of spinal cord injury and nerve function significantly affected the recovery process, the female after spinal cord injury occurs more often than male minor symptoms, followed by progesterone that gender differences in this study stand out.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the synergistic effects of combination progesterone with bone borrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats, and explore the possible molecular mechanism.METHODS:Sixty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) were randomly divided into sham operation group,SCI group (no treatment group, progesterone treatment group, BMSCs transplantation in the treatment group and BMSCs transplantation combined with progesterone therapy group) .The SCI model was established according to the modified Allen's contusion method. Progesterone (8mg/kg) was administrated by intraperitoneal injection at 1-5 days after spinal cord injury. BMSCs were transplanted into the injury sites of spinal cord after spinal cord injury 0h. At 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after SCI, functional outcome measurements were evaluated by the BBB score. The mRNA and protein levels of BDNF,MBPå’ŒGAP-43 were detected by RT-PCR and Western-Blot after spinal cord injury 0 and 28 day .RESULTS: The functional recovery of hind limb in the progesterone and BMSCs combined group was the best among the five groups. The RT-PCR and Western-Blot results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF,MBPå’ŒGAP-43 in SCI group, Progesterone group, BMSCs transplantation group and Combination group were obviously lower than that in sham operation group, while the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF,MBPå’ŒGAP-43 in Progesterone group, BMSCs transplantation group and Combination group were obviously higher than that in SCI group. It was even higher in the combined group than that in the progesterone or BMSCs group (P<0.01).CONCLUSIONS: Both progesterone and BMSCs are capable to facilitate the recovery of motor function after SCI. One possible mechanism may be enhancing the expression of BDNF,MBPå’ŒGAP-43 in the damaged tissue. Meanwhile, the effect of progesterone combined with BMSCs transplantation is better than the either single one.