Differential gene expression in the EphA4 knockout spinal cord and analysis of the inflammatory response following spinal cord injury

Mice lacking the axon guidance molecule EphA4 have been shown to exhibit extensive axonal regeneration and functional recovery following spinal cord injury. To assess mechanisms by which EphA4 may modify the response to neural injury a microarray was performed on spinal cord tissue from mice with spinal cord injury and sham injured controls. RNA was purified from spinal cords of adult EphA4 knockout and wild-type mice four days following lumbar spinal cord hemisection or laminectomy only and was hybridised to Affymetrix All-Exon Array 1.0 GeneChips?. While subsequent analyses indicated that several pathways were altered in EphA4 knockout mice, of particular interest was the attenuated expression of a number of inflammatory genes, including Arginase 1, expression of which was lower in injured EphA4 knockout compared to wild-type mice. Immunohistological analyses of different cellular components of the immune response were then performed in injured EphA4 knockout and wildtype spinal cords. While numbers of infiltrating CD3+ T cells were low in the hemisection model, a robust CD11b+ macrophage/microglial response was observed post-injury. There was no difference in the overall number or spread of macrophages/activated microglia in injured EphA4 knockout compared to wild-type spinal cords at 2, 4 or 14 days post-injury, however a lower proportion of Arginase-1 immunoreactive macrophages/activated microglia was observed in EphA4 knockout spinal cords at 4 days post-injury. Subtle alterations in the neuroinflammatory response in injured EphA4 knockout spinal cords may contribute to the regeneration and recovery observed in these mice following injury.     

Neural progenitors isolated from newborn rat spinal cords differentiate into neurons and astroglia

Permanent functional deficit in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is in part due to severe neural cell death. Therefore, cell replacement using stem cells and neural progenitors that give rise to neurons and glia is thought to be a potent strategy to promote tissue repair after SCI. Many studies have shown that stem cells and neural progenitors can be isolated from embryonic, postnatal and adult spinal cords. Recently, we isolated neural progenitors from newborn rat spinal cords. In general, the neural progenitors grew as spheres in culture, and showed immunoreactivity to a neural progenitor cellular marker, nestin. They were found to proliferate and differentiate into glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astroglia and multiple neuronal populations, including GABAergic and cholinergic neurons. Neurotrophin 3 and neurotrophin 4 enhanced the differentiation of neural progenitors into neurons. Furthermore, the neural progenitors that were transplanted into contusive spinal cords were found to survive and have migrated in the spinal cord rostrally and caudally over 8 mm to the lesion center 7 days after injury. Thus, the neural progenitors isolated from newborn rat spinal cords in combination with neurotrophic factors may provide a tool for cell therapy in SCI patients.     

Effects of combinatorial treatment with pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide and human mesenchymal stem cells on spinal cord tissue repair

The aim of this study is to understand if human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) have synergistic protective effect that promotes functional recovery in rats with severe spinal cord injury (SCI). To evaluate the effect of delayed combinatorial therapy of PACAP and hMSCs on spinal cord tissue repair, we used the immortalized hMSCs that retain their potential of neuronal differentiation under the stimulation of neurogenic factors and possess the properties for the production of several growth factors beneficial for neural cell survival. The results indicated that delayed treatment with PACAP and hMSCs at day 7 post SCI increased the remaining neuronal fibers in the injured spinal cord, leading to better locomotor functional recovery in SCI rats when compared to treatment only with PACAP or hMSCs. Western blotting also showed that the levels of antioxidant enzymes, Mn-superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and peroxiredoxin-1/6 (Prx-1 and Prx-6), were increased at the lesion center 1 week after the delayed treatment with the combinatorial therapy when compared to that observed in the vehicle-treated control. Furthermore, in vitro studies showed that co-culture with hMSCs in the presence of PACAP not only increased a subpopulation of microglia expressing galectin-3, but also enhanced the ability of astrocytes to uptake extracellular glutamate. In summary, our in vivo and in vitro studies reveal that delayed transplantation of hMSCs combined with PACAP provides trophic molecules to promote neuronal cell survival, which also foster beneficial microenvironment for endogenous glia to increase their neuroprotective effect on the repair of injured spinal cord tissue.     

Lithium enhances the neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells in vitro and after transplantation into the avulsed ventral horn of adult rats through the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor

This study was undertaken to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which lithium regulates the development of spinal cord-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in vitro and after transplanted in vivo . Our results show that lithium at the therapeutic concentration significantly increases the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of NPCs in vitro. Specific ELISAs, western blotting, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR assays demonstrate that lithium treatment significantly elevates the expression and production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by NPCs in culture. Application of a BDNF neutralizing antibody in culture leads to a marked reduction in the neurogenesis of lithium-treated NPCs to the control level. However, it shows no effects on the proliferation of lithium-treated NPCs. These findings suggest that the BDNF pathway is possibly involved in the supportive role of lithium in inducing NPC neurogenesis but not proliferation. This study also provides evidence that lithium is able to elevate the neuronal generation and BDNF production of NPCs after transplantation into the adult rat ventral horn with motoneuron degeneration because of spinal root avulsion, which highlights the therapeutic potential of lithium in cell replacement strategies for spinal cord injury because of its ability to promote neuronal differentiation and BDNF production of grafted NPCs in the injured spinal cord.     

Transplantation of neural stem cells into the spinal cord after injury

Thanks to advances in the stem cell biology of the central nervous system (CNS), the previously inconceivable regeneration of the damaged CNS is approaching reality. The availability of signals to induce the appropriate differentiation of the transplanted and/or endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) as well as the timing of the transplantation are important for successful functional recovery of the damaged CNS. Because the immediately post-traumatic microenvironment of the spinal cord is in an acute inflammatory stage, it is not favorable for the survival and differentiation of NSC transplants. On the other hand, in the chronic stage after injury, glial scars form in the injured site that inhibit the regeneration of neuronal axons. Thus, we believe that the optimal timing of transplantation is 1-2 weeks after injury.     

Chondroitinase ABC treatment and the phenotype of neural progenitor cells isolated from injured rat spinal cord

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether enzyme chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) treatment influences the phenotype of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from injured rat spinal cord. Adult as well as fetal spinal cords contain a pool of endogenous neural progenitors cells, which play a key role in the neuroregenerative processes following spinal cord injury (SCI) and hold particular promise for therapeutic approaches in CNS injury or neurodegenerative disorders. In our study we used in vitro model to demonstrate the differentiation potential of NPCs isolated from adult rat spinal cord after SCI, treated with ChABC. The intrathecal delivery of ChABC (10 U/ml) was performed at day 1 and 2 after SCI. The present findings indicate that the impact of SCI resulted in a decrease of all NPCs phenotypes and the ChABC treatment, on the contrary, caused an opposite effect.     

Cografted Wharton’s Jelly Cells-derived Neurospheres and BDNF Promote Functional Recovery After Rat Spinal Cord Transection

An animal model of transected spinal cord injury (SCI) was used to test the hypothesis that cografted human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells-derived neurospheres (HUMSC-NSs) and BDNF can promote morphologic and functional recoveries of injured spinal cord. In vitro, HUMSC-NSs terminally differentiated into higher percentages of cells expressing neuronal markers: β-tubulin III and MAP2ab by the supplement with BDNF. Following grafted into injured spinal cord, very few grafted cells survived in the HUMSC-NSs + BDNF-treated (<3%) and HUMSC-NSs-treated (<1%) groups. The survived cells were differentiated into various cells, which were confirmed by double staining of BrdU and neural or glia markers. In comparison, more grafted cells in the HUMSC-NSs + BDNF group transformed into mature neural-like cells, while more grafted cells in the HUMSC-NSs group transformed into oligodendrocyte-like cells. HUMSC-NSs + BDNF-treated group had more greatly improved BBB scores, compared with HUMSC-NSs-treated and medium-treated groups. Additionally, axonal regeneration showed significant improvement in rats receiving HUMSC-NSs + BDNF, compared with HUMSC-NSs-treated and medium-treated groups, as demonstrated by the NF-200-positive staining and Fluorogold (FG) retrograde tracing study. Lastly, a significant reduction in the percentage cavitation was seen in the two cell-treated groups compared with medium control group. These results means BDNF could promote the neural differentiation of HUMSC-NSs in vitro and in vivo. However, cellular replacement is unlikely to explain the improvement in functional outcome. The functional recovery might more rely on the axonal regeneration and neuroprotective action that active by the grafted cells. Cografted HUMSCs and BDNF is a potential therapy for SCI.     

骨髓间充质干细胞移植对急性脊髓损伤脱髓鞘病变的保护作用

骨髓间充质干细胞(Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,BMSCs)已被广泛应用于治疗脊髓损伤,但目前对其治疗机制了解甚少。BMSCs被移植至脊髓钳夹损伤模型大鼠,以研究其保护作用。通过LFB(Luxol fast blue)染色、锇酸染色、TUNEL(Td T-mediated d UTP nick-end labeling)染色和透射电镜对白质有髓神经纤维进行观察。免疫印迹检测BMSCs移植对脑源性神经营养因子(Brain derived neurotrophic factor,BDNF)和caspase 3蛋白表达的影响。通过脊髓损伤后1、7、14 d三个时间点移植BMSCs并进行后肢运动评分(Basso,beattie and bresnahan;BBB评分)和CNPase(2′,3′-cyclic-nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase)、髓鞘碱性蛋白(Myelin basic protein,MBP)、caspase 3蛋白水平的检测。免疫荧光观察BMSCs移植到受损脊髓后分化情况及CNPase-caspase 3~+共表达情况。骨髓间充质干细胞移植7 d后,部分移植的BMSCs可表达神经元和少突胶质细胞标记物,大鼠后肢运动能力和髓鞘超微结构特征均明显改善。骨髓间充质干细胞移植后BDNF蛋白表达水平增加,caspase 3蛋白表达水平则降低。相对于脊髓损伤后1 d和14 d,7 d移植BMSCs后MBP和CNPase蛋白表达水平最高;caspase 3蛋白表达水平则最低。骨髓间充质干细胞移植后CNPase-caspase 3~+细胞散在分布于脊髓白质。结果表明,急性脊髓损伤后,BMSCs移植到受损脊髓有分化为神经元和少突胶质细胞的倾向,并促进BDNF的分泌介导抗少突胶质细胞凋亡而对神经脱髓鞘病变有保护作用,且最佳移植时间为脊髓损伤后7 d。     

Polydatin promotes the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and in vivo: Involvement of Nrf2 signalling pathway

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation represents a promising repair strategy following spinal cord injury (SCI), although the therapeutic effects are minimal due to their limited neural differentiation potential. Polydatin (PD), a key component of the Chinese herb Polygonum cuspidatum, exerts significant neuroprotective effects in various central nervous system disorders and protects BMSCs against oxidative injury. However, the effect of PD on the neuronal differentiation of BMSCs, and the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately understood. In this study, we induced neuronal differentiation of BMSCs in the presence of PD, and analysed the Nrf2 signalling and neuronal differentiation markers using routine molecular assays. We also established an in vivo model of SCI and assessed the locomotor function of the mice through hindlimb movements and electrophysiological measurements. Finally, tissue regeneration was evaluated by H&E staining, Nissl staining and transmission electron microscopy. PD (30 μmol/L) markedly facilitated BMSC differentiation into neuron‐like cells by activating the Nrf2 pathway and increased the expression of neuronal markers in the transplanted BMSCs at the injured spinal cord sites. Furthermore, compared with either monotherapy, the combination of PD and BMSC transplantation promoted axonal rehabilitation, attenuated glial scar formation and promoted axonal generation across the glial scar, thereby enhancing recovery of hindlimb locomotor function. Taken together, PD augments the neuronal differentiation of BMSCs via Nrf2 activation and improves functional recovery, indicating a promising new therapeutic approach against SCI.     

Embryonic stem cell-derived L1 overexpressing neural aggregates enhance recovery after spinal cord injury in mice

An obstacle to early stem cell transplantation into the acutely injured spinal cord is poor survival of transplanted cells. Transplantation of embryonic stem cells as substrate adherent embryonic stem cell-derived neural aggregates (SENAs) consisting mainly of neurons and radial glial cells has been shown to enhance survival of grafted cells in the injured mouse brain. In the attempt to promote the beneficial function of these SENAs, murine embryonic stem cells constitutively overexpressing the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 which favors axonal growth and survival of grafted and imperiled cells in the inhibitory environment of the adult mammalian central nervous system were differentiated into SENAs and transplanted into the spinal cord three days after compression lesion. Mice transplanted with L1 overexpressing SENAs showed improved locomotor function when compared to mice injected with wild-type SENAs. L1 overexpressing SENAs showed an increased number of surviving cells, enhanced neuronal differentiation and reduced glial differentiation after transplantation when compared to SENAs not engineered to overexpress L1. Furthermore, L1 overexpressing SENAs rescued imperiled host motoneurons and parvalbumin-positive interneurons and increased numbers of catecholaminergic nerve fibers distal to the lesion. In addition to encouraging the use of embryonic stem cells for early therapy after spinal cord injury L1 overexpression in the microenvironment of the lesioned spinal cord is a novel finding in its functions that would make it more attractive for pre-clinical studies in spinal cord regeneration and most likely other diseases of the nervous system.     

Zic1 promotes the expansion of dorsal neural progenitors in spinal cord by inhibiting neuronal differentiation

The role of Zic1 was investigated by altering its expression status in developing spinal cords. Zic genes encode zinc finger proteins homologous to Drosophila Odd-paired. In vertebrate neural development, they are generally expressed in the dorsal neural tube. Chick Zic1 was initially expressed evenly along the dorsoventral axis and its expression became increasingly restricted dorsally during the course of neurulation. The dorsal expression of Zic1 was regulated by Sonic hedgehog, BMP4, and BMP7, as revealed by their overexpressions in the spinal cord. When Zic1 was misexpressed on the ventral side of the chick spinal cord, neuronal differentiation was inhibited irrespective of the dorsoventral position. In addition, dorsoventral properties were not grossly affected as revealed by molecular markers. Concordantly, when Zic1 was overexpressed in the dorsal spinal cord in transgenic mice, we observed hypercellularity in the dorsal spinal cord. The transgene-expressing cells were increased in comparison to those of truncated mutant Zic1-bearing mice. Conversely, we observed a significant cell number reduction without loss of dorsal properties in the dorsal spinal cords of Zic1-deficient mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that Zic1 controls the expansion of neuronal precursors by inhibiting the progression of neuronal differentiation. Notch-mediated inhibition of neuronal differentiation is likely to act downstream of Zic genes since Notch1 is upregulated in Zic1-overexpressing spinal cords in both the mouse and the chick.     

Neural stem/progenitor cells from the adult human spinal cord are multipotent and self-renewing and differentiate after transplantation

Neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) transplantation is a promising therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). However, little is known about NSPC from the adult human spinal cord as a donor source. We demonstrate for the first time that multipotent and self-renewing NSPC can be cultured, passaged and transplanted from the adult human spinal cord of organ transplant donors. Adult human spinal cord NSPC require an adherent substrate for selection and expansion in EGF (epidermal growth factor) and FGF2 (fibroblast growth factor) enriched medium. NSPC as an adherent monolayer can be passaged for at least 9 months and form neurospheres when plated in suspension culture. In EGF/FGF2 culture, NSPC proliferate and primarily express nestin and Sox2, and low levels of markers for differentiating cells. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) promotes NSPC proliferation and significantly enhances GFAP expression in hypoxia. In differentiating conditions in the presence of serum, these NSPC show multipotentiality, expressing markers of neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) significantly enhances neuronal differentiation. We transplanted the multipotent NSPC into SCI rats and show that the xenografts survive, are post-mitotic, and retain the capacity to differentiate into neurons and glia.Together, these findings reveal that multipotent self-renewing NSPC cultured and passaged from adult human spinal cords of organ transplant donors, respond to exogenous factors that promote selective differentiation, and survive and differentiate after transplantation into the injured spinal cord.     

Tissue-Engineered Regeneration of Completely Transected Spinal Cord Using Induced Neural Stem Cells and Gelatin-Electrospun Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide)/Polyethylene Glycol Scaffolds

Tissue engineering has brought new possibilities for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Two important components for tissue engineering of the spinal cord include a suitable cell source and scaffold. In our study, we investigated induced mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) directly reprogrammed into neural stem cells (iNSCs), as a cell source. Three-dimensional (3D) electrospun poly (lactide-co-glycolide)/polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) nanofiber scaffolds were used for iNSCs adhesion and growth. Cell growth, survival and proliferation on the scaffolds were investigated. Scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and nuclei staining were used to assess cell growth on the scaffolds. Scaffolds with iNSCs were then transplanted into transected rat spinal cords. Two or 8 weeks following transplantation, immunofluorescence was performed to determine iNSC survival and differentiation within the scaffolds. Functional recovery was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) Scale. Results indicated that iNSCs showed similar morphological features with wild-type neural stem cells (wt-NSCs), and expressed a variety of neural stem cell marker genes. Furthermore, iNSCs were shown to survive, with the ability to self-renew and undergo neural differentiation into neurons and glial cells within the 3D scaffolds in vivo. The iNSC-seeded scaffolds restored the continuity of the spinal cord and reduced cavity formation. Additionally, iNSC-seeded scaffolds contributed to functional recovery of the spinal cord. Therefore, PLGA-PEG scaffolds seeded with iNSCs may serve as promising supporting transplants for repairing spinal cord injury (SCI).     

三七总皂苷对脊髓损伤后BDNF 的表达及运动功能的影响

目的:探讨三七总皂苷(total panax notoginseng saponins,tPNS)对脊髓半横断损伤后对脑源性神经营养因子(Brain-derivedneurotrophic factor,BDNF)表达以及运动功能恢复的作用的影响。方法:大鼠随机分为正常组和实验组,实验组大鼠脊髓T10右侧半横断模型,损伤后15min,腹腔注射三七总皂苷,剂量为20mg.kg-1,以后每天给药一次,溶媒对照组注射等量生理盐水。术后进行BBB评分和斜板实验检测;动物分别存活1d、3d、7d、14d、28d后,采用免疫荧光化学方法检测脊髓损伤远侧端BDNF表达的变化。结果:BBB评分及斜板实验结果显示,三七总皂苷能明显促进脊髓损伤后运动功能的恢复,尤其是损伤后7d和14d,三七总皂苷组评分明显高于溶媒对照组。免疫组化结果显示:脊髓半横断损伤后,损伤远侧端损伤侧BDNF的表达强于对侧,损伤侧BDNF的表达呈现出1d,3d逐渐增强,7d达高峰的趋势,14dBDNF的表达逐渐下降,至28d仍略高于正常组。三七总皂苷组和溶媒对照组相比,BDNF表达的时间趋势相同,但相同时间点BDNF的表达强于对照组,尤其是3d、7d。结论:三七总皂苷能增强脊髓半横断损伤后BDNF的表达,这可能是其改善脊髓再生的微环境,促进脊髓损伤后运动功能恢复的机制之一。     

Human embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursor transplants in collagen scaffolds promote recovery in injured rat spinal cord

Background aimsSeveral studies have reported functional improvement after transplantation of in vivo-derived neural progenitor cells (NPC) into injured spinal cord. However, the potential of human embryonic stem cell-derived NPC (hESC-NPC) as a tool for cell replacement of spinal cord injury (SCI) should be considered.MethodsWe report on the generation of NPC as neural-like tubes in adherent and feeder-free hESC using a defined media supplemented with growth factors, and their transplantation in collagen scaffolds in adult rats subjected to midline lateral hemisection SCI.ResultshESC-NPC were highly expressed molecular features of NPC such as Nestin, Sox1 and Pax6. Furthermore, these cells exhibited the multipotential characteristic of differentiating into neurons and glials in vitro. Implantation of xenografted hESC-NPC into the spinal cord with collagen scaffold improved the recovery of hindlimb locomotor function and sensory responses in an adult rat model of SCI. Analysis of transplanted cells showed migration toward the spinal cord and both neural and glial differentiation in vivo.ConclusionsThese findings show that transplantation of hESC-NPC in collagen scaffolds into an injured spinal cord may provide a new approach to SCI.     

Thoracic Rat Spinal Cord Contusion Injury Induces Remote Spinal Gliogenesis but Not Neurogenesis or Gliogenesis in the Brain

After spinal cord injury, transected axons fail to regenerate, yet significant, spontaneous functional improvement can be observed over time. Distinct central nervous system regions retain the capacity to generate new neurons and glia from an endogenous pool of progenitor cells and to compensate neural cell loss following certain lesions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether endogenous cell replacement (neurogenesis or gliogenesis) in the brain (subventricular zone, SVZ; corpus callosum, CC; hippocampus, HC; and motor cortex, MC) or cervical spinal cord might represent a structural correlate for spontaneous locomotor recovery after a thoracic spinal cord injury. Adult Fischer 344 rats received severe contusion injuries (200 kDyn) of the mid-thoracic spinal cord using an Infinite Horizon Impactor. Uninjured rats served as controls. From 4 to 14 days post-injury, both groups received injections of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells. Over the course of six weeks post-injury, spontaneous recovery of locomotor function occurred. Survival of newly generated cells was unaltered in the SVZ, HC, CC, and the MC. Neurogenesis, as determined by identification and quantification of doublecortin immunoreactive neuroblasts or BrdU/neuronal nuclear antigen double positive newly generated neurons, was not present in non-neurogenic regions (MC, CC, and cervical spinal cord) and unaltered in neurogenic regions (dentate gyrus and SVZ) of the brain. The lack of neuronal replacement in the brain and spinal cord after spinal cord injury precludes any relevance for spontaneous recovery of locomotor function. Gliogenesis was increased in the cervical spinal cord remote from the injury site, however, is unlikely to contribute to functional improvement.     

Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Improves Myelination and Attenuates Tissue Damage of Spinal Cord Injury

Preventing demyelination and promoting remyelination of denuded axons are promising therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition was reported to benefit the neural functional recovery and the axon regeneration after SCI. However, its role in de- and remyelination of axons in injured spinal cord is unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of EGFR inhibitor, PD168393 (PD), on the myelination in mouse contusive SCI model. We found that expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the injured spinal cords of PD treated mice was remarkably elevated. The density of glial precursor cells and oligodendrocytes (OLs) was increased and the cell apoptosis in lesions was attenuated after PD168393 treatment. Moreover, PD168393 treatment reduced both the numbers of OX42 + microglial cells and glial fibrillary acidic protein + astrocytes in damaged area of spinal cords. We thus conclude that the therapeutic effects of EGFR inhibition after SCI involves facilitating remyelination of the injured spinal cord, increasing of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and OLs, as well as suppressing the activation of astrocytes and microglia/macrophages.     

Fas and FasL Expression in the Spinal Cord Following Cord Hemisection in the Monkey

The changes of endogenous Fas/FasL in injured spinal cord, mostly in primates, are not well known. In this study, we investigated the temporal changes in the expression of Fas and FasL and explored their possible roles in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and associated precentral gyrus following T(11) spinal cord hemisection in the adult rhesus monkey. A significant functional improvement was seen with the time going on in monkeys subjected to cord hemisection. Apoptotic cells were also seen in the ventral horn of injured spinal cord with TUNEL staining, and a marked increase presents at 7 days post operation (dpo). Simultaneously, the number of Fas and FasL immunoreactive neurons in the spinal cords caudal and rostral to injury site and their intracellular optical density (OD) in the ipsilateral side of injury site at 7 dpo increased significantly more than that of control group and contralateral sides. This was followed by a decrease and returned to normal level at 60 dpo. No positive neurons were observed in precentral gyrus. The present results may provide some insights to understand the role of Fas/FasL in the spinal cord but not motor cortex with neuronal apoptosis and neuroplasticity in monkeys subjected to hemisection spinal cord injury.