Therapeutic effect of fibroblast growth factor and olfactory ensheathing cells in rat models of spinal cord injury

Objective: To compare the efficacy of individual and combined treatment of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Materials and Methods: Adult female Albino Wistar rats were anesthetized with ketamine (90 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection and T10 laminectomy was performed to expose the spinal cord, before drop-weight injury. Following injury, 2 μg of aFGF was administered at the site of injury and cultured rat olfactory mucosal OEC were transplanted as a single dose of 1 × 106 cells on the 9th day after SCI, used individually as well as in combination therapy. The outcome of the treatments was assessed using the hind-limb motor recovery-Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scale, transcranial motor-evoked potential, and histological studies. Results: All the treated groups showed improvement in hind-limb motor recovery when compared to the control group in BBB (P < 0.05). There was increased electromyography amplitude in treated rats as compared to controls (P < 0.05). Retrograde and anterograde tract tracing showed an increase of preserved axons and possible regeneration. Combination of aFGF with OEC transplantation demonstrated more beneficial effects following SCI than with individual therapy. Conclusion: aFGF and OEC transplantation have neuroprotective and regenerative therapeutic potentials for the future clinical application.