Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (24): 2159-2163.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.147947

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Transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells repairs brachial plexus injury: pathological and biomechanical analyses

Qi Yang 1, Min Luo 1, Peng Li 2, Hai Jin 1     

  1. 1 China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
    2 Department of Mechanics, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
  • Received:2014-10-20 Online:2014-12-25 Published:2014-12-25
  • Contact: Hai Jin, M.D., China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, Jilin Province, China, plyangqi1980@sina.com.
  • Supported by:

    This study was financially supported by a grant from the Science and Technology Development Project of Jilin Province of China, No. 20110492.

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Abstract:

A brachial plexus injury model was established in rabbits by stretching the C6 nerve root. Immediately after the stretching, a suspension of human amniotic epithelial cells was injected into the injured brachial plexus. The results of tensile mechanical testing of the brachial plexus showed that the tensile elastic limit strain, elastic limit stress, maximum stress, and maximum strain of the injured brachial plexuses were significantly increased at 24 weeks after the injection. The treatment clearly improved the pathological morphology of the injured brachial plexus nerve, as seen by hematoxylin eosin staining, and the functions of the rabbit forepaw were restored. These data indicate that the injection of human amniotic epithelial cells contributed to the repair of brachial plexus injury, and that this technique may transform into current clinical treatment strategies.

Key words: nerve regeneration, peripheral nerve injury, brachial plexus injury, animal model, human amniotic epithelial cells, forepaw function, morphology, tensile mechanics, neural regeneration