BACKGROUND This study evaluated whether Schwann-like cells (SLCs) induced from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) transplanted into acellular nerve grafts (ANGs) could repair nerve defects compared with nerve isografts and ANGs with BM-MSCs. METHODS BM-MSCs extracted, separated and purified from the bone marrow of rats, and some of the BM-MSCs were cultured with mixed induct...

BACKGROUND Recently, vagus nerve preservation or reconstruction of vagus has received increasing attention. The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of reconstructing the severed vagal trunk using an autologous sural nerve graft. METHODS Ten adult Beagle dogs were randomly assigned to two groups of five, the nerve grafting group (TG) and the vagal resection group (VG). The gastr...

OBJECTIVE To observe the expressions of nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and their association with reactive astrocytes following spinal cord injury in adult rats. METHODS Adult rats with compression injury of the spinal cord were divided into 7 groups (n=6) and examined at 1, 3, and 5 days and at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the injury. The recovery of the locomotor function af...

The intratemporal portion of the facial nerve has a single bundle, while the extratemporal portion has multiple funiculi. In the guinea pig, the funiculi repeatedly divide and fuse between the stylomastoid foramen and the origin of the inferior labial branch. It remains unknown whether the nerve fibers in each funiculus are topographically organized or not. In this paper, the topographic organi...

We had previously proposed the presence of permanent stimulatory influences in the tissue microenvironment surrounding the aged mesenteric lymphatic vessels (MLV), which influence aged lymphatic function. In this study, we performed immunohistochemical labeling of proteins known to be present in mast cells (mast cell tryptase, c-kit, prostaglandin D(2) synthase, histidine decarboxylase, histami...

High-resolution microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (μMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to characterize brain structural abnormalities in a mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (MPS VII). Microscopic magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a decrease in the volume of anterior commissure and corpus callosum and a slight increase in the volume of the hippocampus i...

A bleeding disorder occurring during labour and affecting mother and foetus is described. All stages of coagulation were normal until the reaction fibrinogen-->fibrin. Either there was some abnormality present in the fibrinogen molecule, or there was an "anticoagulant" acting at this stage. The abnormality was reversible by protamine sulphate and toluidine blue, but in other respects did not re...

This study aimed to culture and characterize mesenchymal stem cells derived from meniscal debris. Cells in meniscal debris from patients with meniscal injury were isolated by enzymatic digestion, cultured in vitro to the third passage, and analyzed by light microscopy to observe morphology and growth. Third-passage cultures were also analyzed for immunophenotype and ability to differentiate int...