Is the inflammatory process involved in bone marrow mononuclear cell migration to the injured nerve?

USACH VANINA; LAVALLE LUCIA; MARTINEZ VIVOT ROCÍO; SETTON CP

Huerta Grande

Congreso; XXVII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2012

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Neurociencias

We have previously described the reorganization of myelin and axonal proteins as clusters in the injured nerve. We have also proven that endogenous and transplanted bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) migrate exclusively to the injured nerve. BMMC accelerate remyelination by colocalizing with Schwann cell and nerve fiber markers, promoting the disappearance of protein clusters. In the present work, our aim was to evaluate whether the inflammatory process associated with Wallerian degeneration is one of the mechanisms involved in the recruitment of BMMC to the ipsilateral nerve. To that end, we evaluated the moment when BMMC are first found in the crushed sciatic nerve through confocal microscopy. In parallel, the involvement of prostaglandins (PG) in cell recruitment was studied through the analysis of PG synthesis and BMMC migration in indomethacin-treated rats. The results obtained show that, as soon as 24 h post injury, BMMC are localized on the border of the ipsilateral nerveand, after 3 days, they are spread throughout the nerve. Immediately after the crush, the synthesis of PGD2 and PGE2 is upregulated. After 6 h, the expression of Cox-1 and Cox-2 (PG biosynthetic enzymes) is increased. Treatment with indomethacin inhibits the migration of BMMC, which suggests PG involvement in cell recruitment and migration. Further experiments are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms involved in BMMC migration and their effect in the degeneration-regeneration process.