Intravenous transplantation of umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cells after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rat

Objective To study the possibility of intravenous transplantation of the human umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal rats. Methods The umbilical blood MSCs were collected to transplant by the caudal vein of rats at the second week after HIBD , and the MSCs were marked with DAPI before implantation. The rats were divided into 3 groups:Control group(n=15), HIBD group (n=20) and MSCs transplant group(n=29). The rats in each group were randomly put to death and extracted brain tissues which were used to observe the pathomorphology,and also the hippocampal gurus was extracted to make into slices, the number of cells marked with DAPI was counted under the fluoroscope. Results The death rate of rats were no difference (P0.05) in each group observed from 4 weeks after the implantation; The brain lesion rate in MSCs transplant group was significantly lower than HIBD group(P0.05),and the brain damage happened to most of the rats in this group was not serious and even close to the normal at the fourth week after implantation. One week after transplantation, large amount of the MSCs appeared at the damage tissue and distributed and scattered around the damage area. Conclusions Treatment of HIBD in neonate rats with HUCBMSCs implantaing can effectively decrease the brain edema and ameliorate the damaged brain tissue. During the course of trasplantation, MSCs can cross the blood brain barriert, and to distribute scattering around the damaged brain tissue. No any implantation reaction and side effect occurred.