Journal of neurosurgery
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2004
Comparative StudyMitomycin C in preventing spinal epidural fibrosis in a laminectomy model in rats.
Extensive epidural fibrosis after lumbar surgery may be the underlying cause in most cases of failed-back surgery syndrome. Various materials have been used to prevent epidural fibrosis, but only moderate success has been shown. Mitomycin C, an alkylosing antibiotic substance isolated from Streptomyces caespitosus, potentially supresses fibroblast proliferation after surgery. In this study, the authors investigated the effect of mitomycin C by local application on spinal epidural fibrosis in a rat laminectomy model. ⋯ In this experimental model, mitomycin C applied locally at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml effectively reduced epidural fibrosis, completely avoided dural adherence, and induced no side effects.
-
Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2004
Proliferation, migration, and differentiation of human neural stem/progenitor cells after transplantation into a rat model of traumatic brain injury.
Cultures containing human neural stem and progenitor cells (neurospheres) have the capacity to proliferate and differentiate into the major phenotypes of the adult brain. These properties make them candidates for therapeutic transplantation in cases of neurological diseases that involve cell loss. In this study, long-term cultured and cryopreserved cells were transplanted into the traumatically injured rat brain to evaluate the potential for human neural stem/progenitor cells to survive and differentiate following traumatic injury. ⋯ This study shows that expandable human neural stem/progenitor cells survive transplantation, and migrate, differentiate, and proliferate in the injured brain. These cells could potentially be developed for transplantation therapy in cases of traumatic brain injury.