A Novel Model for Acute Peripheral Nerve Injury in the Horse and Evaluation of the Effect of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Applied In Situ on Nerve Regeneration: A Preliminary Study.
Abstract: Transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to sites of experimentally created nerve injury in laboratory animals has shown promising results in restoring nerve function. This approach for nerve regeneration has not been reported in horses. In this study, we first evaluated the ability of equine bone marrow-derived MSCs (EBM-MSCs) to trans-differentiate into Schwann-like cells and subsequently tested the MSCs for their potential to regenerate a transected nerve after implantation. The EBM-MSCs from three equine donors were differentiated into SCLs for 7 days, , in the presence of specialized differentiation medium and evaluated for morphological characteristics, by using confocal microscopy, and for protein characteristics, by using selected Schwann cell markers (GFAP and S100b). The EBM-MSCs were then implanted into the fascia surrounding the of one fore limb of three healthy horses after a portion of this nerve was excised. The excised portion of the nerve was examined histologically at the time of transection, and stumps of the nerve were examined histologically at day 45 after transplantation. The EBM-MSCs from all donors demonstrated morphological and protein characteristics of those of Schwann cells 7 days after differentiation. Nerves implanted with EBM-MSCs after nerve transection did not show evidence of nerve regeneration at day 45. Examination of peripheral nerves collected 45 days after injury and stem cell treatment revealed no histological differences between nerves treated with MSCs and those treated with isotonic saline solution (controls). The optimal delivery of MSCs and the model suitable to study the efficacy of MSCs in nerve regeneration should be investigated.
Publication Date: 2016-09-15 PubMed ID: 27695697PubMed Central: PMC5023688DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2016.00080Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article presents a preliminary investigation into the potential of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (EBM-MSCs) to aid in the regeneration of damaged nerves in horses. However, this attempt did not indicate any significant nerve regeneration within the evaluated period of 45 days.
The Experiment
- In this study, the researchers endeavored to assess the capacity of EBM-MSCs to transform into Schwann-like cells (SCLs). These are specialized cells known to help repair damaged nerves in mammals.
- EBM-MSCs were collected from three horse donors and were then differentiated into SCLs under controlled conditions for a week. The differentiation was conducted using a specialized medium.
- The evolved cells post-differentiation were scrutinized for their morphological attributes through confocal (laser scanning) microscopy. Additionally, the examination of protein characteristics was conducted applying selected Schwann cell markers, GFAP, and S100b.
Application and Results
- A part of the nerve extracted from the forelimb of three healthy horses was then replaced with the differentiated EBM-MSCs. The original excised nerve was studied histologically at the point of transection, while the nerve stumps were evaluated similarly on the 45th day after transplantation.
- The EBM-MSCs transformed into Schwann-like cells exhibiting necessary morphological and protein characteristics.
- However, the nerves implanted with EBM-MSCs didn’t show any indication of significant regeneration when examined 45 days post-implantation.
- When comparing the peripheral nerves treated with MSCs and those treated with a control (isotonic saline solution) 45 days after injury, no significant differences were observed in terms of histology.
Conclusions and Future Investigations
- Overall, while the capacity of EBM-MSCs to differentiate into Schwann-like cells was demonstrated, the anticipated nerve regeneration did not manifest in the experimental timeframe, necessitating further investigation.
- The researchers concluded that while their novel attempt at nerve regeneration using EBM-MSCs showed promise, it was not fruitful in this experiment. The optimal methods for applying MSCs and suitable models to examine their efficacy in nerve regeneration require further study.
Cite This Article
APA
Cruz Villagrán C, Schumacher J, Donnell R, Dhar MS.
(2016).
A Novel Model for Acute Peripheral Nerve Injury in the Horse and Evaluation of the Effect of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Applied In Situ on Nerve Regeneration: A Preliminary Study.
Front Vet Sci, 3, 80.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2016.00080 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN , USA.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN , USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN , USA.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, TN , USA.
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Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Ferreira LVO, Kamura BDC, Oliveira JPM, Chimenes ND, Carvalho M, Santos LAD, Dias-Melicio LA, Amorim RL, Amorim RM. In Vitro Transdifferentiation Potential of Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Schwann-Like Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2023 Jul;32(13-14):422-432.
- Cequier A, Sanz C, Rodellar C, Barrachina L. The Usefulness of Mesenchymal Stem Cells beyond the Musculoskeletal System in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 25;11(4).
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