MRI tracking of transplanted neural stem cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide in ischemic model / 中华器官移植杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the migration of transplanted neural stem cells labeled with SPIO with 4.7T MR system and study cell differentiation by immunohistochemistry in ischemic rats. Methods Rat neural stem cells(NSCs)co-labeled with SPIO mediated by poly-L-lysine and bromode- oxyuridine(BrdU)were transplanted into the middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)rats after 14 days when MCAO model was made successfully.4.7T MR scanner was used to monitor the migration of transplanted cells after 1.2,3,4,5 and 6 weeks post-transplantation.After MRI examination at 6th week,the rats were killed and Prussian blue staining and immunohistochemistric staining were per- formed to study migration and functional differentiation of NSCs.Results Three weeks after trans- plantation,linear hypointensity area derived from migration of labeled NSCs was observed in the corpus callosum adjacent to the injection site.Six weeks after transplantation,linear hypointensity area was moved toward the midline along the corpus callosurn.MRI findings were confirmed by Prussian blue staining and immunohistochemical straining.Co-labeled immunohistochemical methods demonstrated transplanted NSCs could differentiated into astrocytes and neurons.Conclusion MRI is very useful in demonstrating the migration path of labeled NSCs.Transplanted NSCs into ischemic rats can differen- tiated into astrocytes and neurons during the process of migration.