Insights in Neurosurgery

Combination Therapy with Astaxanthin and Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells Improves Motor Impairments and Increased Motor Neurons and Myelin Levels

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to temporary or permanent loss of neurologic function.  Nevertheless, the ideal treatment has not found for SCI. Since the SCI is a complex, multifaceted disease process so, combinatorial treatments can be a promising approach. Epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs) are unique candidates witch isolated from bulge hair follicles in adults due to the possibility of autologous transplantation. We evaluated whether combination of a potent antioxidant such as Astaxanthin (AST) and (EPI-NCSCs) transplantation could affect (SCI). The sever SCI induced by dropping a metal rod onto the exposed dorsal surface of the spinal cord on male rats witch treated by Ast (0.2mM) and EPI-NCSCs (10⁶/10μl PBS) alone and combined. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) test on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 post-injury was used for assessing of Motor function. The Motor neurons number and the myelin level were investigated on days 14 and 42 using Nissl and Luxol Fast Blue staining. All treatments improved motor function on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 compared to SCI. However combination therapy was more effective than Ast or EPI-NCSCs individually in behavioral improvement.

Author(s):

Leila Mohaghegh Shalmani

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