4.7 Article

Hepatocyte growth factor reduces astrocytic scar formation and promotes axonal growth beyond glial scars after spinal cord injury

Journal

EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
Volume 233, Issue 1, Pages 312-322

Publisher

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.10.021

Keywords

Spinal cord injury; Hepatocyte growth factor; Glial scar; Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans; Transforming growth factor beta

Categories

Funding

  1. Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea [A080565]

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The formation of glial scars impedes growth of regenerating axons after CNS injuries such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), originally identified as a mitogen for hepatocytes, exerts pleiotropic functions in the nervous system. HGF has been implicated in peripheral wound healing via regulation of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), which is also a potent inducer of glial scar formation in CNS. In the present study, we found that HGF completely blocked secretion of TGF beta 1 and beta 2 from activated astrocytes in culture. HGF also prevented expression of specific chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) species. To determine whether HGF inhibits glial scar formation in an in vivo SCI model, HGF overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells (HGF-MSCs) were transplanted into hemisection spinal cord lesions at C4. Transplantation of HGF-MSCs markedly diminished TGF beta isoform levels and reduced the extent of astrocytic activation. In addition, HGF-MSCs also significantly decreased neurocan expression and glycosaminoglycan chain deposition around hemisection lesions. Furthermore, animals treated with HGF-MSCs showed increased axonal growth beyond glial scars and improvement in recovery of forepaw function. Our results indicate that anti-glial scar effects of HGF, together with its known neurotrophic functions, could be utilized to ameliorate functional deficits following SCI. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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