The Effect of Fetal Olfactory Mucosa on Tissue Sparing and Locomotor Recovery after Spinal Cord Hemisection ill Rats

Objective: olfactory ensheathing cells (oecs) has been shown to have a neuroprotectiveeffect after transplanted in brain and spinal cord injury (sci). this study was conductedto determine the possible beneficial results of transplantation of fetal olfactorymucosa (fom) that was the source of oecs in the recovery of locomotor function andin spinal tissue sparing after spinal cord hemisection.materials and methods: forty-eight adult female sprague-dawley rats were spinallyhemisected at the l1 level and were randomized into the three groups of 16 animals.the first group, immunosuppressed injured animals were received cyclosporine a (csa)and fom graft. the second group was received csa and fetal respiratory mucosa(frm) graft, and the control group; non-immunosuppressed rats were received salineand gel foam. locomotor performance was assessed weekly for 8 weeks after lesion,using locomotive rating scale developed by basso, bresnahan and beattie (bbb). afterbehavioral assessment, the spinal cord was examined by a histologist for spinal tissuesparing.results: from weeks 6-8, the functional recovery of the fom rats significantly increasedin comparison to the frm, although a significant difference in tissue sparing was not apparent.from weeks, 2-8 the functional recovery of the fom and frm groups as well astissue sparing of the fom group increased significantly compared to the control group.conclusion: thus, the fom treatment may be effective to promote functional recoveryand partially preserving tissue sparing.