Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The repair effect of single bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on treating cerebral infracted tissues are poor, which need to be combined with drugs and bioengineered materials.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment can enhance curative effects of BMSCs transplantation on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in rats.
METHODS: Rat BMSCs were cultured by the suspension culture in vitro. The models of cerebral infarction were made by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAQ). Rats were divided randomly into control group, BMSCs group and HBO+BMSCs group. The neurobehavioral scores were determined after 24 hours, 3 days and 1, 2 weeks after MCAQ. After 2 weeks, RT-PCR was used to assess the GAP-43 gene expression. The recovery condition was detected by BrdU immunohistochemistry and pathology.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The neurobehavioral scores were significantly lower in the HBO+BMSCs group than those in control group and BMSCs group at 1 week after MCAQ (P < 0.05). The expression of GAP-43 mRNA was highest in the HBO+BMSCs group, a few in the BMSCs group and lowest in the control group (P < 0.05). The number of neurons in the HBO+BMSCs group was higher than that in BMSCs group and control group (P < 0.05). Hyperbaric oxygen treatment combined with BMSCs transplanted by vein into the hypoxic-Ischemic brain damage tissues can significantly improve the neurological function in the rats with MCAQ, the curative effects is superior to single BMSCs transplantation.