ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate whether mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow (BMSCs) could be administered safely into the internal carotid artery.Methods Density gradient centrifugation was employed to extract the BMSCs.About 1 × 106 BMSCs were injected into the internal carotid artery of healthy New Zealand rabbits through cerebral angiography.After 24 h of injection,we checked the cerebral microcirculation with CT perfusion and possibly microinfarction with HE stainning.Results Successful administration of BMSCs into internal carotid artery of the rabbits was performed.No significant difference was found in perfusion parameters,including cerebral blood flow (CBF),cerebral blood volume (CBV),mean transit time (MTT),and time to peak (TTP),between transplanted hemisphere and contralateral hemisphere (P＞0.05),despite a trend of slight decrease of CBF in the transplanted side.HE staining showed no microinfarctions in cortex-medulla junctional zone of the transplanted hemispheres.Conclusion BMSCs could be transplanted safely through internal carotid artery of the rabbits.