Experimental study of tetrandrine on endogenous neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation / 中国生化药物杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the effect of tetrandrine on endogenous neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation after spinal cord injury in rats. Methods 78 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups control group(n=36), Tet-treated group(n=36), sham-operated group(n=6). Control group and Tet-treated group were adapted with Allen's combat modeling method. Rats in Tet group were injected Ted with a dosage 22.5 mg/kg in 30 minutes, 24 hours and 48 hours after ASCI, and the same dose of saline was injected into injured group as control .Samples were dissected from the spinal cord injury sites at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks after ASCI, and tested by HE staining for morphology and by immunolfuorescence staining for the expression of BrdU and nestin. Results A little Nestin positive cells and BrdU positive cells were found in control group and Tet-treated group at 1 day after injury. A large number of positive cells were found in both groups at 1 week after injury and reached the peak which lasted for 2 weeks and then decreased gradually. The expression of Nestin positive cells and BrdU positive cells in control group and Tet-treated group were decreased significantly at 4 weeks after injury, but were still more than that in sham operation group. The number of Nestin positive cells and BrdU positive cells in Tet-treated group were more than that in control group at each time point after injury. The expression was higher in Tet-treated group than control group at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks after injury and had no difference at 4 weeks after injury. Conclusions Tetrandrine could increase the number of Nestin positive cells, BrdU positive cells and endogenous neural stem cells though improving the microenvironment, and it is beneficial for the recovery of spinal cord injury in rats.