Intraspinal Transplantation Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Provides Neuroprotection After Spinal Cord Injury In Rats

Primary injury of the spinal cord leads to local vascular disruption and parenchymal damage, which contribute to secondary degeneration. Extenuating cell death and enhancing angiogenesis constitute an attractive therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury (SCI). Transplantation of umbilical cord blood derived-endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been shown to promote functional recovery of injured spinal cord. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of bone marrow derived-EPCs in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). We established the rat SCI model by the modified Allen method and immediately transplanted EPCs into the lesion site with an EPC culture medium as a control. Administration of EPCs resulted in increased VEGF-A protein expression, and subsequent angiogenesis, attenuated apoptotic cell death, increased neuronal preservation, and reduced number of astrocytes. Moreover, EPC-treated rats exhibited significant improvements in tissue preservation and behavioral recovery. These data reveal that transplantation of EPCs could effectively provide neuroprotection following SCI and ultimately promote SCI recovery. The results also indicate that administration of EPCs is a promising therapeutic method for SCI.