The Treatment Of Rat Spinal Cord Hemi-section Injury With Multi-channele PLGA Spinal Cord Regeneration Guide Conduit

Objective To observe the biocompatibility of neural stem cells with biomaterials PLGA, chitosan and gelatin. To explore the rules of neural stem cells co-cultured with PLGA, chitosan and gelatin in vitro. To explore the possibility of constructing multi-channeled spinal cord regeneration guide conduit with neural stem cells and PLGA, chitosan and gelatin and its treatment for spinal cord injury.Methods Neural stem cells was dissociated and cultured from 14~16 days old embryonic Wistar rat brain tissue. Neural stem cells were co-cultured with biomaterials PLGA, chitosan and gelatin etc which are used popularly in tissue engineering in vitro. The biocompatibility of neural stem cells with PLGA, chitosan and gelatin and the growth rules of neural stem cells on these biomaterials films were observed. According to the anatomy and physiology feature of spinal cord, a multi-channeled spinal cord regeneration guide conduit was constructed with neural stem cells and PLGA. These guide conduits were implanted into a spinal cord cavity produced by hemi-section injury and then the changes of structure and function of spinal cord were observed. During this period of 8 weeks, the motor function of hindlib was evaluated with the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale weekly. Data were expressed in mean ± stand diviation and analyzed with SPSS 11.5 statistical software.Results Neural stem cells with self renew and multi-differentiation potential were disassociated and cultured successfully from 14~16 day old Wistar rat brain tissue , which can differentiated into neurons and astrocytes. Embryonic Wistar rat neural stem cells were biocompatible with PLGA, chitosan and gelatin. Neural stem cells attached confirmly to the surface of chitosan and gelatin films at 24 hours and differentiated into neurons and astrocytes at 48 hours after their seeding. On the contrary, there was neither attachment nor differentiation on the surface of PLGA films when an attachment material such as chitosan or gelatin was not added. Neural stem cells attached on the interior surface of multi-channeled spinal cord regeneration guide conduit. The motor function of rat hindlib evaluated with the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale showed significance statistically treated with neural stem cells seeded multi-channeled spinal cord regeneration guide conduit.Concussions Neural stem cells were biocompatible with PLGA, chitosan and gelatin. Among PLGA, chitosan and gelatin, PLGA is optimal to construct a spinal cord regeneration guide conduit with neural stem cells. Optimal implant time for neural stem cells seeding PLGA guide conduit implantation was between 24 hours and 48 hours after their co-culturing in vitro. To an extent, this conduit showed treatment effect on the contractual rebuilding and functional recovery of rat spinal cord after their hemi-section injury.