Cell type- and isotype-specific expression and regulation of β-tubulins in primary olfactory ensheathing cells and Schwann cells in vitro

Biomimetic integrated olfactory sensory and olfactory bulb systems in vitro based on a chip

A variety of mammalian or insect behaviors rely on the recognition of relevant odor stimuli. The olfactory system detects and translates complex olfactory stimuli (odors) through the unique and reproducible dynamic ensembles of neuronal activities. This process is involved in various types of neurons of olfactory parts, thereby encoding olfactory information or predicting progression in some neuropsychiatric diseases. In this paper, we constructed a biomimetic model including olfactory sensing system and olfactory bulb processing system to map olfactory-associated ensembles of neuronal activity. The olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and olfactory bulb (OB) neurons were primarily cultured and the immunofluorescence images were performed to identify the types of neurons. Diacetyl solution was used as an odor stimulus, and the spike bursts and random spike firing patterns of concentration-dependent excitatory responses were obtained from the ORNs network. The spike waveform and feature parameters were extracted including the spike number and interval in per burst to program the stimulation unit and sequences. The sequences containing odor information were applied to the OB neuronal network for the simulation of the primary olfactory processing. The response pattern and change rule of the OB neuronal network were consistent with the OB neurons affected by the neurotransmitter, which is the carrier of olfactory information transmission in vivo. This biomimetic integrated olfactory sensory and processing system can serve as a novel model for studying the physiological and pathological mechanisms of olfaction, and the pharmacological application in vitro.

Effects of Ghrelin on Olfactory Ensheathing Cell Viability and Neural Marker Expression

Ghrelin (Ghre), a gut-brain peptide hormone, plays an important role in the entire olfactory system and in food behavior regulation. In the last years, it has aroused particular interest for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. Our previous research showed that Ghre and its receptor are expressed by peculiar glial cells of the olfactory system: Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs). These cells are able to secrete different neurotrophic factors, promote axonal growth, and show stem cell characteristics. The aim of this work was to study, in an in vitro model, the effect of Ghre on both cell viability and the expression of some neural markers, such as Nestin (Ne), Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP), Neuregulin (Neu), and β-III-tubulin (Tuj1), in primary mouse OEC cultures. The MTT test and immunocytochemical procedures were used to highlight cell viability and marker expression, respectively. Our results demonstrate that Ghre, after 7 days of treatment, exerted a positive effect, stimulating OEC viability compared with cells without Ghre treatment. In addition, Ghre was able to modify the expression of some biomarkers, increasing Neu and Tuj1 expression, while GFAP was constant; on the contrary, the presence of positive Ne cells was drastically reduced after 7 days, and this showed a loss of stem cell characteristic and therefore the possible orientation towards an adult neural phenotype.

Impact of Dual Cell Co-culture and Cell-conditioned Media on Yield and Function of a Human Olfactory Cell Line for Regenerative Medicine

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a promising candidate therapy for neuronal tissue repair. However, appropriate priming conditions to drive a regenerative phenotype are yet to be determined. We first assessed the effect of using a human fibroblast feeder layer and fibroblast conditioned media on primary rat olfactory mucosal cells (OMCs). We found that OMCs cultured on fibroblast feeders had greater expression of the key OEC marker p75NTR (25.1 ± 10.7 cells/mm²) compared with OMCs cultured on laminin (4.0 ± 0.8 cells/mm², p = 0.001). However, the addition of fibroblast-conditioned media (CM) resulted in a significant increase in Thy1.1 (45.9 ± 9.0 cells/mm² versus 12.5 ± 2.5 cells/mm² on laminin, p = 0.006), an undesirable cell marker as it is regarded to be a marker of contaminating fibroblasts. A direct comparison between human feeders and GMP cell line Ms3T3 was then undertaken. Ms3T3 cells supported similar p75NTR levels (10.7 ± 5.3 cells/mm²) with significantly reduced Thy1.1 expression (4.8 ± 2.1 cells/mm²). Ms3T3 cells were used as feeder layers for human OECs to determine whether observations made in the rat model were conserved. Examination of the OEC phenotype (S100β expression and neurite outgrowth from NG108-15 cells) revealed that co-culture with fibroblast feeders had a negative effect on human OECs, contrary to observations of rat OECs. CM negatively affected rat and human OECs equally. When the best and worst conditions in terms of supporting S100β expression were used in NG108-15 neuron co-cultures, those with the highest S100β expression resulted in longer and more numerous neurites (22.8 ± 2.4 μm neurite length/neuron for laminin) compared with the lowest S100β expression (17.9 ± 1.1 μm for Ms3T3 feeders with CM). In conclusion, this work revealed that neither dual co-culture nor fibroblast-conditioned media support the regenerative OEC phenotype. In our case, a preliminary rat model was not predictive of human cell responses.

The Effects of Co-transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells and Schwann Cells on Local Inflammation Environment in the Contused Spinal Cord of Rats

Inflammatory response following spinal cord injury (SCI) is important in regulation of the repair process. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and Schwann cells (SCs) are important donor cells for repairing SCI in different animal models. However, synergistic or complementary effects of co-transplantation of both cells for this purpose have not been extensively investigated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of co-transplantation of OECs and SCs on expression of pro- or anti-inflammatory factor and polarization of macrophages in the injured spinal cord of rats. Mixed cell suspensions containing OECs and SCs were transplanted into the injured site at 7 days after contusion at the vertebral T10 level. Compared with the DMEM, SC, or OEC group, the co-transplantation group had a more extensive distribution of the grafted cells and significantly reduced number of astrocytes, microglia/macrophage infiltration, and expression of chemokines (CCL2 and CCL3) at the injured site. The co-transplantation group also significantly increased arginase⁺/CD206⁺ macrophages (IL-4) and decreased iNOS⁺/CD16/32⁺ macrophages (IFN-γ), which was followed by higher IL-10 and IL-13 and lower IL-6 and TNF-α in their expression levels, a smaller cystic cavity area, and improved motor functions. These results indicate that OEC and SC co-transplantation could promote the shift of the macrophage phenotype from M(IFN-γ) to M(IL-4), reduce inflammatory cell infiltration in the injured site, and regulate inflammatory factors and chemokine expression, which provide a better immune environment for SCI repair.

A prospective randomized double-blind clinical trial using a combination of olfactory ensheathing cells and Schwann cells for the treatment of chronic complete spinal cord injuries

The aim of this prospective randomized double-blind clinical study is to examine the benefits of using olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) combined with or without Schwann cells (SCs) in treating chronic complete spinal cord injuries (SCIs). This would offer patients a better alternative for neurological functional recovery. According to the initial design, 28 eligible participants with cervical chronic complete SCI were recruited and randomly allocated into four groups of seven participants each. The neurological assessments were to be performed according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) Functional Rating Scales, in combination with electrophysiological tests, for example, electromyography (EMG) and paraspinal somatosensory evoked potentials (PSSEPs). Here we have summarized the data from seven patients; three patients received an OEC intraspinal transplantation, one underwent SC implantation, and one received a combination of OECs and SCs. The remaining two patients were used as controls. The scores were evaluated independently by at least two neurologists in a blinded fashion for comparing the neurological functional changes during pre- and post-cell transplantation (6-month follow-up). All patients who received OECs, SCs alone, and a combination of them showed functional improvement. Mild fever occurred in one of the patients with OEC transplant that subsided after symptomatic treatments. All treated patients except one showed improvement in the electrophysiological tests. The functional improvement rate comprises 5/5 (100%) in the treated group, but 0/2 (0%) in the control group (p = 0.008). These preliminary findings show that transplanting OECs, SCs, or a combination of them is well tolerated and that they have beneficial effects in patients. Thus, further studies in larger patient cohorts are warranted to assess the benefits and risks of these intervention strategies. This manuscript is published as part of the IANR special issue of Cell Transplantation.