Xuemei Zhang1, Yinglian Zhou1, Hulun Li2, Rui Wang1, Dan Yang1, Bing Li1, Xiaofang Cao3, Jin Fu1. 1. Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 2. Department of Neurobiology, Neurobiology Key Laboratory, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. 3. Department of Dentistry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, while effective restorative treatments are limited at present. Stem cell transplantation holds therapeutic potential for ischemic vascular diseases and may provide an opportunity for neural regeneration. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) origin from neural crest and have neuro-ectodermal features including proliferation and multilineage differentiation potentials. METHODS: The rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to evaluate whether intravenous administration of DPSCs can reduce infarct size and to estimate the migration and trans-differentiation into neuron-like cells in focal cerebral ischemia models. Brain tissues were collected at 4 weeks following cell transplantation and analyzed with immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. RESULTS: Intravenously administration of rat-derived DPSCs were found to migrate into the boundary of ischemic areas and expressed neural specific markers, reducing infarct volume and cerebral edema. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DPSCs treatment may serve as a potential therapy for clinical stroke patients in the future.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, while effective restorative treatments are limited at present. Stem cell transplantation holds therapeutic potential for ischemic vascular diseases and may provide an opportunity for neural regeneration. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) origin from neural crest and have neuro-ectodermal features including proliferation and multilineage differentiation potentials. METHODS: The rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to evaluate whether intravenous administration of DPSCs can reduce infarct size and to estimate the migration and trans-differentiation into neuron-like cells in focal cerebral ischemia models. Brain tissues were collected at 4 weeks following cell transplantation and analyzed with immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. RESULTS: Intravenously administration of rat-derived DPSCs were found to migrate into the boundary of ischemic areas and expressed neural specific markers, reducing infarct volume and cerebral edema. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DPSCs treatment may serve as a potential therapy for clinical strokepatients in the future.