Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Transfected Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve the Recovery of Motor and Sensory Functions of Rats With Spinal Cord Injury

Study Design. Basic science. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the recovery of motor and sensory functions of rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Summary of Background Data. There is no effective treatment to protect against SCI. BMSCs have been widely applied to the treatment of nervous system damage due to the function of prompt neurite growth and inhibition of demyelination following injury. Methods. VEGF-transfected BMSCs were injected to rats with SCI and the recovery of motor and sensory functions was observed. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan, mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal withdraw latency grading was conducted to assess the recovery status of motor and sensory functions of the SCI rats. The expression of VEGF, CD31, and NF200 was detected by immunofluorescence. Results. The recovery of the rat motor and sensory functions in the VEGF-transfected BMSC (BMSC-VEGF) group was higher than those of the other groups with the exception of the Sham group ( P < 0.05). The expression of the CD31 and NF200 proteins in the rat SCI regions was the highest in the BMSC-VEGF group, whereas the survival of BMSC in the BMSC-VEGF group was increased compared with that in the BMSC-Ad group. In addition, the injection of VEGF-transfected BMSCs can improve the angiogenesis of the injured area and retain the survival of injected cells and neurons. Conclusion. The injection of BMSC-VEGF improved the recovery of motor function in SCI rats. Level of Evidence: N/A