High-Dose Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Transplantation Increases Engraftment and Neuronal Distribution and Promotes Functional Recovery in Rats after Acutely Severe Spinal Cord Injury

Figure 5

Grafted NSPC-derived oligodendrocytes contributed to remyelination of regenerated axons in the high-dose group. (a–c) Representative images from the injury site showing a great quantity and a small quantity of remyelination, respectively, in the high-dose and low-dose group (arrowheads) but no remyelination in the SCI group. Scale bars: 50 μm. (d, e) TEM reveals myelination of axons occurred in the injury/graft site in the high-dose and low-dose group (arrowheads). Scale bars: 4 μm. (f) TEM revealed the formation of glial scar at the lesion area in the SCI group. Scale bars: 4 μm. (G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4) Representative images of axial sections stained for MBP, GFP, and DAPI revealed some grafted GFP-positive NSPCs differentiate into MBP-positive oligodendrocytes. Scale bars: 50 μm. (H-1, H-2, H-3, and H-4) A representative z-stack image quadruple labeled for GFP, MBP, NF, and DAPI, indicating GFP+/MBP+ double-labeled myelin sheaths were observed around GFP+/NF+ neuronal fibers (arrowheads). Scale bars: 10 μm. (i) Quantitative analyses of the percentage of the MBP-positive area in the total area of the lesion site that is the sum of MAP-2, GFAP, and MBP-positive area at the injury site in each subject for three groups (values are , animals per group; , ).

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