Effetto di due approcci terapeutici sulle lesioni spinali in modelli animali di trauma spinale contusivo

Using a standardized rodent model of contusive spinal cord injury we investigated the effect of intravenous administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) or of adult neural stem cells (NSCs). We sought to determine whether these treatments attenuate the structural damage of the nervous tissue, limiting the evolution of the secondary injury. To this end we applied morphological and cytochemical methods, combined with light, confocal and electron microscopy to study: a) myelin preservation, b) activation of adult oligodendrocyte progenitors identified for the expression of NG2, c) changes in the amount of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, d) ventral horn density of the serotoninergic plexus as marker of descending motor control axons, e) expression of the astrocyte marker aquaporin 4 (AQP4), f) extent of reactive gliosis evaluated by the expression of glial fibrillary acid protein and vimentin. The results showed that: 1) rhEPO administration produces several benefical effects, well correlated with the locomotor recovery, such as reduction of the lesion site, attenuation of astrogliosis, increase of AQP4/NG2 immunoreactivity