title: Human marrow stromal cell treatment provides long-lasting benefit after traumatic brain injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the effects of human bone marrow stromal cell (hMSC) administration in rats for 3 months after traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats (n = 60) were injured with controlled cortical impact and divided into four groups. The three treatment groups (n = 10 each) were injected with 2 x 10, 4 x 10, and 8 x 10 hMSCs, respectively, intravenously, whereas the control group (n = 30) received phosphate-buffered saline. All injections were performed 1 day after injury into the tail veins of rats. Neurological functional evaluation of animals was performed before and after injury by use of Neurological Severity Scores. Animals were sacrificed 3 months after TBI, and brain sections were stained by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant improvement in functional outcome was observed in all three treatment groups compared with control values (P < 0.05). This benefit was visible 14 days after TBI and persisted until 3 months (end of trial). There was no difference in functional outcome among the three treatment groups. Histological analysis showed that hMSCs were present in the lesion boundary zone at 3 months with all three doses tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hMSCs injected in rats after TBI survive until 3 months and provide long-lasting functional benefit. Functional improvement may be attributed to stimulation of endogenous neurorestorative functions such as neurogenesis and synaptogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. nsaam@neuro.hfh.edu
authors.forename: Asim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Dunyue
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Changsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goussev
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chopp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007211:Indoles; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007211:Indoles; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C007293:DAPI; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase