Adipose-derived stromal cells improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury through TGF-β1/Smad3/PLOD2 pathway activation
Fang Li, Hua Liu, Kun Zhang, Dongjie Xiao, Changjiang Wang, Yunshan Wang
Abstract
and promoted functional recovery after their implantation near injury sites in a rat SCI model. These effects correlated with upregulation of PLOD2, MAP2, NSE and GAP43, and downregulation of GFAP, which is indicative of improved neuronal survival and axonal regeneration as well as reduced glial scar formation. The neurorestorative effect of ADSCs was weakened after inhibition of PLOD2 expression. ADSCs appeared to induce PLOD2 upregulation via TGF-β1 secretion, as ADSC-mediated PLOD2 expression, neuronal survival, and functional recovery after SCI were largely prevented by SB431542, a TGF-(1 receptor inhibitor. These findings indicate that ADSCs reduce lesion size and promote functional recovery after SCI mainly through activation of a TGF-β1/P-Samd3/PLOD2 pathway in spinal cord neurons.