Basic research Adipose-derived stem cells promote peripheral nerve repair Gui-Bo Liu1,2, Yong-Xia Cheng3, Yu-Kuan Feng2, Chao-Jian Pang1, Qi Li1, Ying Wang1,2, Hua Jia1, Xiao-Jie Tong1 1Department of Human Anatomy, The Basic College of Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China 2Department of Human Anatomy, Mudanjiang Medical College, Mudanjiang, China 3Department of Pathology, Mudanjiang Medical College, Mudanjiang, China Submitted: 10 December 2010 Accepted: 11 May 2011 Arch Med Sci 2011; 7, 4: 592-596 DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2011.24127 Copyright © 2011 Termedia & Banach A b s t r a c t Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that the implantation of bone marrow- derived mesenchymal stem cells improves peripheral nerve regeneration. In this study we aimed to investigate whether adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be used for peripheral nerve repair. Material and methods: In a rat model, nerve regeneration was evaluated across a 15 mm lesion in the sciatic nerve by using an acellular nerve injected with allogenic ADSCs. The walking behaviour of rats was measured by footprint analysis, and electrophysiological analysis and histological examination were performed to evaluate the efficacy of nerve regeneration. Results: Cultured ADSCs became morphologically homogeneous with a bipolar, spindle-like shape after ex vivo expansion. Implantation of ADSCs into the rat models led to (i) improved walking behaviour as measured by footprint analysis, (ii) increased conservation of muscle-mass ratio of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, (iii) increased nerve conduction velocity, and (iv) increased number of myelinated fibres within the graft. Conclusions: Adipose-derived stem cells could promote peripheral nerve repair in a rat model. Although the detailed mechanism by which ADSCs promote peripheral nerve regeneration is being investigated in our lab, our results suggest that ADSCs transplantation represents a powerful therapeutic approach for peripheral nerve injury. Key words: adipose-derived stem cells, peripheral nerve repair, cell transplantation, sciatic nerve. Introduction Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell source for the regeneration of nerve tissue due to their self-renewal ability, high growth rate and multi-potent differentiation properties [1]. In particular, the implantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) has been shown to exert a beneficial effect on peripheral nerve regeneration [2-5]. However, it is a highly invasive and painful procedure to isolate BMMSCs and the frequency of MSCs in bone marrow is relatively low [6]. Therefore, an alternative cell source is in urgent demand [7, 8]. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have similar phenotypic and gene expression profiles to BMMSCs [9, 10], but have unique advantages: they Corresponding author: Prof. Xiao-Jie Tong Department of Human Anatomy 92 Bei'erma Lu Heping District Shenyang 110011, China Phone: 86-13386887538 E-mail: txjcmu@yahoo.com.cn