ABSTRACT:The motor representation of the body musculature was studied in 11 adult mice by using ICMS. The motor responses elicited from both granular and agranular cortical fields showed that the mouse motor cortex is topographically organized; however, within the representation of individual body-parts the movements are multiply represented. In addition, several sites were encountered where more than one movement was elicited at the same stimulus threshold. The locations of pyramidal cells contributing axons to the pyramidal tract were examined by means of retrograde tracing with HRP injected into the cervical enlargement. This procedure labeled neurons only in lamina V in granular and agranular cortical fields. The similarities between the organization of motor cortex demonstrated in this study and the organization in the rat suggest that the rat and mouse share a common plan of rodent motor cortical organization. RESUME: Etude de I'organisation du cortex moteur de la souris par tracage retrograde et cartographic par microstimulation intracorticale (MSIC). La representation motrice de la musculature corporelle a 6t6 etudiee chez 11 souris adultes au moyen de la MSIC. Les reponses motrices elicitees a partir des champs corticaux de cellules granuleuses et non-granuleuses ont montre que le cortex moteur de la souris a une organisation topographique; cependant, la representation des mouvements est multiple au sein de la representation de parties individuelles du corps. De plus, plusieurs sites ont 6te repeY6s ou plus d'un mouvement etaient provoques pour un meme seuil de stimulation. La localisation des cellules pyramidales contribuant des axones au faisceau pyramidal a ete examinee au moyen du tracage retrograde en injectant du HRP dans le renflement cervical. Cette technique marquait seulement les neurones de la coucheV dans les champs corticaux granuleux et agranuleux. Les similitudes entre I'organisation du cortex moteur d6montr6es par cette etude et I'organisation chez le rat suggerent que le rat et la souris ont un plan commun d'organisation motrice corticale en tant que rongeurs. Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 199J; 18: 28-38The functional organization of the motor cortex in rat has been extensively studied 1 * 6 by systematically sampling a large number of cortical sites using intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), a technique developed by Asanuma and colleagues. These maps of motor cortex describe a complete representation of movements for all body parts. Often the results of these studies were related to the cytoarchitecture of the region studied. Although some ambiguities remain concerning the definition of primary motor cortex, the size and location of individual body part representations, and the extent of cytoarchitectonic boundaries, these studies have established some general parameters of motor organization of rat cortex.In contrast, knowledge of the functional organization of mouse motor cortex lags considerably behind that of the rat even though the mouse somatosensory cortex and the barrel field in part...

AimsTo evaluate the safety profile and efficacy of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) transplantation for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by assessing patients and their left ventricular function at up to 4 years follow-up.Methods and resultsEighty-six patients with STEMI who had successfully undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized to receive intracoronary injection of BMMNC (n = 41) or saline (n = 45). Left ventricular ejection fraction, as evaluated by UCG, was markedly improved at 6 months (0.484 ± 0.5 vs. 0.457 ± 0.6, P = 0.001), 1 year (0.482 ± 0.7 vs. 0.446 ± 0.6, P < 0.001), and 4 years (0.505 ± 0.8 vs. 0.464 ± 0.8, P < 0.001) after BMMNC transplant when compared with control group. However, the current cell therapy did not improve the myocardial viability of the infarcted area as assessed by single-photon emission computed tomography analysis at 4 years post-transplant (0.263 ± 0.007 in BMMNC group vs. 0.281 ± 0.008 in control group, P = 0.10). During the follow-up period, one control group case (2.2%) of in-stent restenosis was confirmed by coronary angiography and underwent repeat PCI. Also during follow-up, one death (2.2%) occurred in the control group, and one patient (2.4%) in the BMMNC group had transient acute heart failure.ConclusionThis study indicates that intracoronary delivery of autologous BMMNC is safe and feasible for STEMI patients who have undergone PCI, and can lead to long-term improvement in myocardial function.

Background Poor engraftment of intramyocardial stem cells limits their therapeutic efficiency against myocardial infarction ( MI )‐induced cardiac injury. Transglutaminase cross‐linked Gelatin (Col‐Tgel) is a tailorable collagen‐based hydrogel that is becoming an excellent biomaterial scaffold for cellular delivery in vivo. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Col‐Tgel increases retention of intramyocardially‐injected stem cells, and thereby reduces post‐ MI cardiac injury. Methods and Results Adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells ( ADSC s) were co‐cultured with Col‐Tgel in a 3‐dimensional system in vitro, and Col‐Tgel encapsulated ADSC s were observed using scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Vitality, proliferation, and migration of co‐cultured ADSC s were evaluated. In addition, mice were subjected to MI and were intramyocardially injected with ADSC s, Col‐Tgel, or a combination thereof. ADSC s engraftment, survival, cardiac function, and fibrosis were assessed. In vitro MTT and Cell Counting Kit‐8 assays demonstrated that ADSC s survive and proliferate up to 4 weeks in the Col‐Tgel. In addition, MTT and transwell assays showed that ADSC s migrate outside the edge of the Col‐Tgel sphere. Furthermore, when compared with ADSC s alone, Col‐Tgel‐encapsulated ADSC s significantly enhanced the long‐term retention and cardioprotective effect of ADSC s against MI ‐induced cardiac injury. Conclusions In the current study, we successfully established a 3‐dimensional co‐culture system using ADSC s and Col‐Tgel. The Col‐Tgel creates a suitable microenvironment for long‐term retention of ADSC s in an ischemic area, and thereby enhances their cardioprotective effects. Taken together, this study may provide an alternative biomaterial for stem cell‐based therapy to treat ischemic heart diseases.