Abstract: BACKGROUND: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have been widely used to treat neurological diseases. However, due to limitations of the blood-brain barrier, low survival rate and differentiation rate of stem cells at damaged sites, the therapeutic effect is limited.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Shexiang Huangqi compound dripping pills on proliferation, migration and astrocyte differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.
METHODS: Male SD rats were treated with Shexiang Huangqi compound dripping pills for 5 days after continuous gavage. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta and serum was separated for later use. The effect of 5%, 10% and 20% drug-containing serum on the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was detected by CCK-8 assay. The effect of 10% drug-containing serum on lateral migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was observed by scratch test. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in Transwell cells. The effects of 10% drug-containing serum on longitudinal migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were observed by crystal violet staining and DAPI nuclear staining. Differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into astrocytes was observed by inducing solution with 10% drug-containing serum or co-culture with astrocytes. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) 10% and 20% drug-containing serum promoted cell proliferation more significantly on days 2 and 3, and there was no statistical difference between the two concentrations. (2) At 30 and 48 hours, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell migration in 10% drug-containing serum group was significantly higher than that in the control group. (3) The number of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells filtered through Transwell cells in 10% drug-containing serum group was higher than that in the control group. (4) 10% drug-containing serum might promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to astrocytes, but the differentiation effect was weak, and astrocytes might further promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into astrocytes induced by drug-containing serum. (5) The results exhibited that the 10% drug-containing serum could promote the proliferation and migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Co-culture with astrocytes may promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells towards astrocytes.

Key words: ischemic stroke, Shexiang Huangqi compound dripping pills, drug-containing serum, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell, astrocyte, proliferation, migration, differentiation