The effect of hyperbaric oxygen on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation after cerebral ischemia

Objective To study the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).Methods Seventy-two adult,male,Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control (CON) group,a hyperbaric air (HBA) group,a normobaric oxygen (NBO) group and a hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) group.All were subjected to MCAO.Rats in the CON group did not receive any treatment; those in the other groups were treated with HBA,NBO or HBO daily beginning 2 hours after the operation.Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of nestin,MAP2 and GFAP at 2,3,7 and 14 days after the MCAO.Results The expression of nestin in the HBO group was significantly higher than in the other groups on the 3rd,7th and 14th days.It peaked at day 3 but remained high until day 14.Similarly,expression of MAP2 was significantly higher than in the other groups at least until day 14.GFAP expression was significantly lower than in the other groups.Conclusion HBO can increase neural stem cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation,and inhibit the proliferation of astrocytes. Key words: Hyperbaric oxygen;  Cerebral ischemia;  Neural stem cells;  Proliferation;  Astrocytes