This study attempted to graft neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor (TrkC) gene modified mesenchymal stem cells (TrkC-MSCs) into the demyelinated spinal cord and to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) treatment could promote NT-3 secretion in the demyelinated spinal cord as well as further enhance grafted TrkC-MSCs to differentiate into oligodendrocytes, remyelination and functional recovery. the number PP2Bgamma of OPCs and oligodendrocyte-like cells differentiated from MSCs. Immunoelectron microscopy showed the oligodendrocyte-like cells differentiated from TrkC-MSCs created myelin sheaths. Immunofluorescence histochemistry and Western blot analysis indicated that TrkC-MSCs+EA treatment could promote the myelin fundamental protein (MBP) manifestation and Kv1.2 arrangement trending towards the normal level. Furthermore, behavioural test and cortical engine evoked potentials detection demonstrated a significant practical recovery in the TrkC-MSCs+EA group. In conclusion, our results suggest that EA treatment can increase NT-3 manifestation, promote oligodendrocyte-like cell differentiation from TrkC-MSCs, remyelination and practical improvement of demyelinated spinal cord. Demyelination occurs in several disorders in the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Demyelination is an important cause of neurological deficits because it either delays or blocks impulse conduction1,2,3. Demyelinated axons can be repaired by remyelination in both humans4,5 and animals. Indeed, in some experimental models of demyelination restoration can be, effectively complete, accomplished either by endogenous Schwann cells1,6 or oligodendrocytes7,8. Moreover, remyelination has also been achieved by the transplantation of a variety of exogenous myelin-producing cells into experimentally demyelinated lesions. The part of restorative strategies based on cell replacement for demyelination diseases 518303-20-3 supplier has been confirmed by several studies using myelin-producing cells, such as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs)9,10, Schwann cells11 or olfactory ensheathing cells12, and stem cells9. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to become the most encouraging candidate in adult stem cell-based therapy for nervous system diseases because of their potential for easy collection, quick proliferation, readily genetic manipulation, and their potential for clinical autograft. Moreover, there are a number of features that make MSCs attractive for cell implantation therapies in MS, including immunomodulation13, neuroprotection14 and cell-replacement15,16. Many studies have shown that MSCs implantation exerts a restorative effect in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) or toxin-induced demyelinated models, which is supported from the evidences of practical restoration and considerable remyelination17,18,19. Electroacupuncture (EA) which originated in ancient China thousands of years ago is definitely widely used as an adjuvant therapy for many diseases20,21,22,23,24, especially neurological diseases, including CNS damage and demyelinating diseases. EA has long been used to treat MS in traditional Chinese medicine, but the 518303-20-3 supplier restorative mechanism is still unclear. There is evidence that EA can treat MS through modulating immune functions24. With this connection, EA on Governor Vessel (GV-EA) acupoints is commonly used to treat spinal cord injury because impairment of Governor Vessel is definitely correlated with the damage of spinal cord in Chinese traditional medicine. Indeed, GV-EA has been shown to alleviate the secondary damage after spinal cord injury in animal models21,22,25. Our earlier studies possess reported that GV-EA could promote the secretion of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in hurt spinal wire22,26,27. Additional studies have also shown that EA can increase the manifestation of some neurotrophic factors like NT-3, brain-derived neurotrophic element (BDNF), nerve growth element (NGF) and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT-4/5)28,29. NT-3 takes on important functions in oligodendrocyte development30,31. It promotes the survival, proliferation and differentiation of OPCs, and myelination and analysis of transgene manifestation showed that a large number of TrkC-positive GFP-MSCs were recognized within or nearby the demyelination/graft site of spinal cord in the TrkC-MSCs+EA group (Fig. 1CCD). Therefore, the results indicate that Ad-TrkC transduced MSCs can communicate stably TrkC protein and and analysis of adenoviral (Ad) vector-mediated transgene manifestation. TrkC-MSCs graft & EA treatment increase NT-3 level in the demyelinated spinal cord Two weeks following EB injection, the NT-3 concentration in the demyelinated spinal cord segments in six organizations was measured by ELISA. The mean levels of the NT-3 content in three segments of injured spinal cord were regarded as in 6 organizations and offered in Fig. 2A. As compared with the sham group, the NT-3 material were significantly decreased in the PBS, MSCs, and TrkC-MSCs organizations (p < 0.05). However, the NT-3 material were significantly improved in the MSCs, MSCs+EA, TrkC-MSCs and TrkC-MSCs+EA organizations as compared with the PBS group (p < 0.05). The NT-3 content was significantly higher in the TrkC-MSCs+EA group than that in the MSCs or TrkC-MSCs group (p < 0.05). Moreover, NT-3 concentration in the TrkC-MSCs+EA group was not significantly different from that of the sham group or MSCs+EA group (p > 518303-20-3 supplier 0.05). The results indicate that grafted TrkC-MSCs combined with EA therapy 518303-20-3 supplier can increase NT-3 level in the demyelinated spinal cord. These results are consistent with our earlier results22,27. Moreover, our earlier results showed that NT-3 can be produced by neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia/macrophages in the transected spinal cord injury22 and the demyelinated spinal cord27. Number 2 (A) NT-3 material of the demyelinated spinal cords in six organizations were measured by ELISA at 14?d after.