Neuroprotective Effects of Intravenous Injection of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Neural Progenitor Cells in Traumatic Optic Neuropathy Mouse Model

Background: Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) take signals comingfrom visual stimuli in the eye and deliver them to the brain’svisual cortex through their axons in the optic nerve. Any damageto the optic nerve would lead to the degeneration of nonregeneratingRGC axons and death of irreplaceable RGCs. Opticnerve damage can lead to a total loss of vision, a permanentorgan damage that in most cases is not curable through surgeryor medication. Neuroprotective functions of stem cells in thenervous system have prompted many studies investigating theeffectiveness of a range of these cells on various retinal diseasemodels. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) secrete an assortmentof trophic factors that are vital to the protection of the visualsystem.Materials and Methods: Three animal groups were used forcomparison: ۱. Healthy, ۲. Vehicle, and ۳. NPCs. These behavioralgroups were compared using the Visual Cliff behavioraltest, immunohistoflourscent (IHF) staining using Brn۳a markerfor RGCs and GFAP for astrocytes, retrograde tracing with DiIinjection into the superior colliculus, and study Retinal layerthickness using H&E staining.Results: Studying the effects of ۵۰.۰۰۰ NPCs intravenous injectionthrough visual cliff showed any vision improvement inNPCs compared to the vehicle group. In contrast, retrogradetracing test and IHF staining of the RGCs revealed their higherRGCs concentration in NPCs group. Moreover study of Retinalthickness showed more thickness in NPCs group compared tovehicle group. Most of the tests indicating that the NPCs protectRGCs from degeneration.Conclusion: Due to ability of NPCs to secrete trophic factors,they may be used for optic nerve protection.

کلیدواژه ها:

Neural Progenitor Cells ، Traumatic Optic Neuropathy ، Neuroprotection ، Retinal Ganglion Cells