Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The abilities of proliferation, migration, differentiation, axon formation and myelinization of transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) were greater in the brain of new-born animals compared with adult animals.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the migration and differentiation of exogenous NSCs transplanted into ventricle in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and to explore the feasibility of NSCs transplantation for the treatment of PVL.
METHODS: The intraventricular transplantation of exdogenous NSCs labeled with PKH26 fluorescein was undertaken in two-day-old neonatal rats with PVL at 72 hours after operation. The ventricular puncture point under stereotaxis instrument was: AP=1.5 mm, ML=-2 mm, DV=1.5 mm. The cell density implanted was 5×1010/L; the volume dose was 2 μL and the velocity was 0.5 μL/min. NSCs implanted was dynamically observed under laser scanning confocal microscope and immunefluorescence analysis was undertaken for the confirmation of differential cells originated from NSCs at 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after transplantation, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Laser confocal microscopy was used to observe transplanted NSCs, and confirmed that exogenous NSCs implanted through ventricle hold a favorable ability of migration. The most exogenous NSCs migrated into periventricular area and distributed in the serious injured region of white matter within three days after transplantation. Since two weeks after transplantation, NSCs implanted had differentiated mainly into OLs precursors, and partly into neurons or astrocytes in the periventricular area. These suggested that intraventricular transplantation of NSCs is with a great potential feasibility for the treatment of PVL.