Using hyperbaric oxygen with mesenchymal stem cells to treat traumatic brain injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate any therapeutic effect of combining hyperbaric oxygen with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in treating traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods Eighty healthy adult rats were randomly divided into a control group,a hyperbaric oxygen group,a stem cell group and a combination group,each of 20.TBI was introduced into the rats of all 4 groups.Twenty-four hours after the modelling,the hyperbaric oxygen group received hyperbaric oxygen therapy,the stem cell group received MSCs transplantation,the combination group was given the hyperbaric oxygen therapy an hour after the MSCs transplantation,while the control group was not given any treatment.All of the rats were evaluated using neurological severity scores (NSSs) after the modeling and again after the treatment.They were then sacrificed for HE staining and the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were observed.Results On the 3rd,5th,10th and 20th day after the modeling,the average NSS of the combination group was significantly lower than those of the other three groups.However,the average NSS of the combination group on the 20th day was significantly superior to that on the 3rd and the 5th days.Compared with the control group,the edema of brain cells was less severe in the other 3 groups.The average expression of NF-kB and BDNF in the combination group was significantly higher than in the other 3 groups on the 3rd,5th,10th and 20th day after the modeling.Conclusion Hyperbaric oxygen,especially long term treatment combined with stem cell transplantation,can significantly improve nerve function in the brain after trauma,relieve inflammation and edema in and around the damaged area,and promote the expression of the NF-kB and BDNF.