The Effect Of Electroacupuncture Combined With Schwann Cells Transplantation On Axonal Regeneration And Remyelination After Compressed Spinal Cord Injury

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture combined with Schwann cells?SCs?transplantation on axonal regeneration and remyelination after compressed spinal injury?CSCI?.MethodsSprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group,electroacupuncture group?EA group?,Schwann cell graft group?SC group?,electroacupuncture combined with SCs transplantation group?EA+SC group?,with 33 rats per group.A custom-made model of spinal compressed injury was used in this experiment.Animals in control group were administrated laminectomy without any treatments.Animals in EA group were treated by electroacupuncture stimulation at“Zusanli”?ST 36?and“Sanyinjiao”?SP 6?acupoints bilaterally on the second day post-surgery.Animals in SC group were treated by SCs transplantation on the first week post-surgery,and animals in combination group were administrated by electroacupuncture stimulation combined with SCs transplantation.All animals were sacrificed on the 2^nd,4^th and 8^th week after interventions.The survival,migration and remyelination of transplanted SCs were tested by immunofluorescence.The proliferation and apoptosis of SCs were measured by EdU and Tunel staining,respectively.BDA anterograde trace were used to label the regeneration axons.The expression levels of CD4,CD8 and P0 proteins were detected by western blotting.Functional recovery was assessed by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan?BBB?score on the 2^nd,4^th and 8^th week.ResultsThe immunofluorescence expression levels of Hochest33342 and its migration distance in EA+SC group was significantly increased when compared with SC group after 2 weeks of intervention?P<0.05?.After 8weeks of treatment,the number of EdU⁺-p0⁺cells in EA+SC group was significantly increased?P<0.05?,while the number of Tunel⁺-P0⁺cells was significantly decreased?P<0.05?compared with control group.Compared with control group,the expression of P0 was significantly increased in EA group at 8^th week?P<0.05?,the expressions of P0 in SC group were significantly increased at 4^th and 8^th week?P<0.05,P<0.001?,the expressions of P0 in EA+SC group were significantly increased at 2^nd,4^thh and 8^th week?P<0.01,P<0.01,P<0.001?.Compared with control group,CD4 and CD8 proteins expressions in SC group were significantly increased?P<0.05,P<0.05?.Compared with SC group,the expression levels of CD4 and CD8 in EA+SC group were significantly decreased?P<0.05,P<0.05?.Compared with the control group,EA group and EA+SC group,the distribution and continuity of BDA-labeled axons in EA+SC group were increased.The expression levels of BDA axons were significantly increased when compared with control group?P<0.05?.BBB scores in EA group and the EA+SC group were significantly higher than those of the control group at 8^th week?P<0.05,P<0.001?.ConclusionElectroacupuncture combined SCs transplantation may improve the survival,proliferation and migration ability of SCs,reduce its apoptosis,strengthen axonal regeneration and remyelination,and enhance the motor function recovery after CSCI by reducing the expression of CD4 and CD8proteins.