Effects of Wharton's jelly cells of the human umbilical cord on acute spinal cord injury in rats, and expression of interleukin-1β and nerve growth factor in spinal cord tissues

Figures & data

Table I. BBB scores at different time points.

Group	N	1 d	3 d	7 d	14 d	21 d	28 d
Sham surgery	6	21.00 ± 0.00	21.00 ± 0.00	21.00 ± 0.00	21.00 ± 0.00	21.00 ± 0.00	21.00 ± 0.00
Model	6	0.51 ± 0.08*	1.25 ± 0.37*	3.68 ± 0.87*	5.88 ± 0.54*	6.79 ± 0.74*	6.41 ± 0.64*
WJC transplantation	6	0.57 ± 0.28*	1.34 ± 0.27*	4.37 ± 0.77*#	7.21 ± 0.57*#	9.39 ± 0.54*#	10.19 ± 0.60*#

F_inter-group = 6668.705, P < 0.001; F_time = 575.448, P < 0.001; F_interaction = 162.152, P < 0.001; *compared with the sham surgery group, P < 0.05; ^#compared with the model group, P < 0.05.

Figure 1. (A) Ultrastructures of spinal cord tissues from the sham surgery group, (B) model group, and the (C) WJC transplantation group 28 d after SCI (× 50000). White arrow indicates connections between nerve fibers.

Figure 2. IL-1β protein expressions in spinal cord tissues (1: sham surgery group; 2: model group; 3: WJC transplantation group).

Table II. IL-1β mRNA expression in spinal cord tissues at different time points.

Group	N	0 h	3 h	6 h	12 h	24 h	72 h	168 h	F (P)
Sham surgery	3	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.480 (0.255)
Model	3	1.00 ± 0.28	1.33 ± 0.22	2.24 ± 0.23*	1.73 ± 0.11*	1.47 ± 0.21*	1.24 ± 0.12	1.02 ± 0.23	12.417 (< 0.001)
WJC transplantation	3	0.97 ± 0.24	1.57 ± 0.22*	1.78 ± 0.19*#	1.47 ± 0.08*#	1.21 ± 0.19	1.11 ± 0.12	0.97 ± 0.23	8.911 (< 0.001)
F (P)		0.010 (0.990)	11.624 (0.009)	44.618 (< 0.001)	64.012 (< 0.001)	7.792 (0.020)	7.417 (0.023)	0.358 (0.711)

*Compared with the sham surgery group, P < 0.05; ^#compared with the model group, P < 0.05.

Table III. IL-1β protein expression in spinal cord tissues at different time points.

Group	N	0 h	3 h	6 h	12 h	24 h	72 h	168 h	F (P)
Sham surgery	3	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	1.00 ± 0.00	0.548 (0.753)
Model	3	1.25 ± 0.08*	1.39 ± 0.12*	1.28 ± 0.05*	1.10 ± 0.16	1.25 ± 0.08*	1.96 ± 0.12*	1.83 ± 0.10*	30.817 (< 0.001)
WJC transplantation	3	0.96 ± 0.15	1.12 ± 0.06	1.30 ± 0.03*	1.08 ± 0.11	1.15 ± 0.12	1.26 ± 0.12#	1.38 ± 0.18#	4.932 (0.006)
F (P)		7.410 (0.018)	28.321 (0.001)	62.614 (< 0.001)	0.918 (0.451)	13.897 (0.005)	136.745 (< 0.001)	67.873 (< 0.001)

*Compared with the sham surgery group, P < 0.05; ^#compared with the model group, P < 0.05.

Figure 3. NGF protein expressions in spinal cord tissues 28 d after SCI (1: sham surgery group; 2: model group; 3: WJC transplantation group).

Table IV. NGF mRNA and protein expression in spinal cord tissues 28 d after SCI.

Group	N	NGF mRNA expression	NGF protein expression
Sham surgery	3	1.00 ± 0.06	1.04 ± 0.11
Model	3	0.97 ± 0.12	1.44 ± 0.02*
WJC transplantation	3	1.58 ± 0.14**	2.15 ± 0.16**
F		49.623	49.876
P		< 0.001	< 0.001

*Compared with the sham surgery group, P < 0.05; ^#compared with the model group, P < 0.05.