NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH Volume 8, Issue 36, December 2013

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doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.36.010 [www.wendangwang.com; www.wendangwang.com]

Li Z, Qin HJ, Feng ZS, Liu W, Zhou Y, Yang LF, Zhao W, Li YJ. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-loaded amniotic membrane for the repair of radial nerve injury. Neural Regen Res. 2013;8(36):3441-3448.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell- loaded amniotic membrane for the repair of radial nerve injury*

Zhi Li1, Hanjiao Qin2, Zishan Feng3, Wei Liu1, Ye Zhou1, Lifeng Yang1, Wei Zhao1, Youjun Li4

1 Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110024, Liaoning Province, China

2 Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, First Clinical Hospital of Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China

3 Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning Province, China

4 Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Norman Bethune University of Medical Science, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, China

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

In this study, we loaded human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells onto human amniotic membrane with epithelial cells to prepare nerve conduits, i.e., a relatively closed nerve regeneration chamber. After neurolysis, the injured radial nerve was enwrapped with the prepared nerve conduit, which was fixed to the epineurium by sutures, with the cell on the inner surface of the conduit. Si-multaneously, a 1.0 mL aliquot of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell suspension was injected into the distal and proximal ends of the injured radial nerve with 1.0 cm intervals. A total of 1.75 × 107 cells were seeded on the amniotic membrane. In the control group, patients received only neurolysis. At 12 weeks after cell transplantation, more than 80% of patients exhibited obvious improvements in muscular strength, and touch and pain sensations. In contrast, these improve-ments were observed only in 55–65% of control patients. At 8 and 12 weeks, muscular electrophy-siological function in the region dominated by the injured radial nerve was significantly better in the transplantation group than the control group. After cell transplantation, no immunological rejections were observed. These findings suggest that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-loaded amniotic membrane can be used for the repair of radial nerve injury.

Key Words

neural regeneration; stem cells; peripheral nerve injury; human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells; radial nerve; amniotic membrane; nerve conduit; nerve regeneration chamber; electrophysiology; motor; sensory; neuroregeneration

Zhi Li, Master.

Corresponding author: Youjun Li, Doctoral

supervisor, Department of Human Anatomy and

Histoembryology, Norman Bethune University of

Medical Science, Changchun 130000, Jilin Province, China, youjun08@ hotmail.com.

Xiandong Zeng, Affiliated Central Hospital of Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang 110024, Liaoning Province, China, zeng_xiandong1969 @163.com.

Received: 2013-07-29 Accepted: 2013-09-25 (N20130124002)

Funding: the Science and Technology Foundation of Shenyang in China, No. F10-217-1-00.

Author contributions: Li Z and Yang LF designed this study. Li Z, Qin HJ, and Zhao W performed experiments. Liu W evaluated experimental results. Zhou Y and Feng ZS collected experimental data. Li Z was responsible for writing the paper and Li YJ

authorized this study. All authors approved the final version of the paper.

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

Ethical approval: The

therapeutic protocol received full approval by Central

Hospital, Shenyang Medical

College, China.

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