Effect of mesenchymal stem cells transplant on cerebral content of basic fibroblast growth factor in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

Objective To investigate mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)transplanted into neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD),in order to observe the changes of cerebral basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)and to explore the mechanism of MSCs transplantation for recovering neural function of neonatal rats with HIBD.Methods The MSCs were isolated from the bone marrow of SD rats and purified by in vitro culture.The left common carotid artery of SD rats was ligated and exposed under hypoxic condition for 2.5 hours to produce HIBD status.After 24 hours,1×106 MSCs were injected through rats' tail veins for the MSCs transplant group(n=20),phosphate buffered saline(PBS)were injected for transplant control group(n=20).Two other groups had no injections:the HIBD-model group(n=20)and normal control group(n=20).All of the rats were scored by the modified neurological impairment score at 1,3,7,14 days after the transplanting of MSCs or PBS.Cerebral bFGF levels were measured by the ELISA method.Results The nerve function impairment score of rats at 7 or 14 days after MSCs transplant(5.0±0.7,4.4±1.1)were better than those in the PBS control group(6.8±1.5,6.4±1.1)and HIBD-model group(7.0±1.0,6.0±0.7).All P values were less than 0.05.The cerebral bFGF levels of MSCs transplant group at each time-point were significantly higher than the other three groups(P0.05).Conclusion MSCs transplants can improve the neurological function in neonatal rats with HIBD and promote the synthesis and secretion of cerebral bFGF to protect and repair the neural system.