The effect of erythropoietin and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells on nerve regeneration in rats with sciatic nerve injury

• Published in: Journal of chemical neuroanatomy Vol. 114; p. 101958
• Main Authors: Ülger, Menekşe, Sezer, Gülay, Özyazgan, İrfan, Özocak, Hakan, Yay, Arzu, Balcıoğlu, Esra, Yalçın, Betül, Göç, Rümeysa, Ülger, Birkan, Özyazgan, Tuğçe Merve, Yakan, Birkan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2021
• Subjects: Animals; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Crush Injuries; Crush injury; Erythropoietin; Erythropoietin - pharmacology; Female; Mesenchymal stem cell; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Nerve Regeneration - drug effects; Nerve Regeneration - physiology; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sciatic nerve; Sciatic Nerve - drug effects; Sciatic Nerve - injuries; Mesenchymal stem cell; Erythropoietin; Crush injury; Sciatic nerve
• ISSN: 0891-0618; 1873-6300
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2021.101958

•A standard experimental sciatic nerve injury model was created with Bulldog clamp by applying constant pressure.•EPO and umbilical cord-derived MSCs contributed to nerve regeneration.•The combined useage of MSC and EPO had a synergistic effect on the physiological recovery of rats with sciatic nerve damage. We aimed to investigate the effects of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and erythropoietin on nerve regeneration in the sciatic nerve ‘crush injury’ in a rat model. Experimental animals were randomly divided into 5 groups: Crush Injury, Sham, Crush Injury + Erythropoietin, Crush Injury + Mesenchymal Stem Cell, Crush Injury + Erythropoietin + Mesenchymal Stem Cell groups. Crush injury made with bulldog clamp. Mesencyhmal stem cells delivered by enjection locally. Erythropoietin administered by intraperitoneally. On the 0th, 14th and 28th days, all groups underwent a sciatic functional index test. On 28th day, sciatic nerves were harvested and histopathological appearance, axon number and axon diameter of the sciatic nerves were evaluated with Oil Red O staining. Immunoreactivity of nerve growth factor, neurofilament-H and caspase-3 were determined by immunofluorescence staining in nerve tissue. In histopathological examination, axons and nerve bundles exhibiting normal nerve architecture in the Sham group. Crush Injury + Mesenchymal Stem Cell group has similar histological appearance to the Sham group. The number of axons were higher in the Mesenchymal Stem Cell groups compared to the Crush Injury group. Nerve growth factor immunoreactivity intensity was significantly lower in Crush Injury + Mesenchymal Stem Cell group compared to Crush Injury group. Neurofilament-H density was higher in the treatment groups when compared to the Crush Injury group. In this study, it was found that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and erythropoietin treatments effects positively regeneration of crush injury caused by bulldog clamp in the sciatic nerve of rats.