Orthotopic transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of cerebral infarction in rats / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Preliminary experimental study found that the human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs)transplantation can improve nerve injury symptoms of rats with cerebral infarction.OBJECTIVE: To observe the survival, colonization and differentiation of hAMSCs in the infarct area of cerebralinfarction rats.METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into hAMSCs transplantation, model or shamoperation groups (n=20/group). Animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were produced in the model andtransplantation groups by Zea-Longa method. One day after modeling, rats in the hAMSCs transplantation groupwere given in situ transplantation of 10 μL of hAMSCs (2×106) into the damaged striatum and cortex, while those inthe model and sham operation group were given the same volume of PBS. Within 1 week after transplantation, ratneurological defects were assessed and changes in their body mass were continuously monitored. Two weeks aftertransplantation, TTC staining was used to observe cerebral infarct size, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used forpathological observation of brain tissues, and immunofluorescent staining was used to detect expression ofneuron-specific nuclear protein.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: With time, weight loss was increased while neurologic deficit scores were graduallyreduced in the hAMSCs and model groups. Compared with the model group, the weight loss and neurologic deficitscores were lower in the hAMSCs group,; however, there was a significant difference in the neurologic deficit scoresbut not in the weight loss between the two groups. Additionally, the hAMSCs significantly reduced infarct size,attenuated pathologic injury, and decreased the number of inflammatory cells. Immunofluorescence stainingshowed that the hAMSCs were observed at 1 week after transplantation under inverted luorescence microscope,and gradually differentiated into nerve cells at 2 weeks after transplantation. In conclusion, transplanted hAMSCsmay migrate to and survive in the cerebral infarct region, and differentiate into nerve cells in situ in rats with cerebralinfarction.