Antinociceptive Effect of Intrathecal Injection of Genetically Engineered Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells Expressing the Human Proenkephalin Gene in a Rat Model of Bone Cancer Pain

Figure 1

(a) Identification of the human bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), including culture, differentiation, and application, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. (A) The morphology of BMSCs at passage 3 (scale bar = 100 μm). (B) Adipogenic differentiation before staining (scale bar = 100 μm). (C) The cultured cells were stained with Oil Red O solution (scale bar = 100 μm). (D) Osteoblasts were stained with alizarin red (scale bar = 100 μm), . (b), (c) The expression of the human proenkephalin (hPPE) gene in engineered hBMSCs (C) was analyzed by RT-PCR 2 weeks (passage 3) after cell transfer. hBMSCs, human bone marrow stem cells; pBABE, a retroviral vector; pBABE-hBMSCs, the pBABE-hBMSC group; hPPE-hBMSCs, the hPPE-hBMSC group. Naïve hBMSCs (A) and vector-engineered hBMSCs (B) served as controls, and hPPE RT-PCR products (161 bp) were expressed as the hPPE/GADPH (450 bp, an internal control) ratio. Statistical analysis showed significantly upregulated hPPE expression in hPPE-hBMSCs compared with hBMSCs and pBABE-hBMSCs (). versus normal hBMSCs and versus pBABE-hBMSCs, .

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