Transplantation of neural stem cells into the traumatized brain induces lymphocyte infiltration.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the lymphocyte infiltration induced by neural stem cell grafts in the traumatized brain.


METHODS
Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly to transplantation (n = 30) or control (n = 30) groups, and each rat was subjected to brain contusion. The neural stem cells derived from Wistar rats were transplanted into the lesion of the transplantation group, and saline was injected instead into the controls. Local lymphocyte infiltration was studied using haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The immunogenicity of neural stem cells was evaluated using MHC-I expression.


RESULTS
About 6.57 +/- 0.44% of the neural stem cells expressed MHC-I. In the transplantation group, histological examination and immunohistochemistry revealed significant lymphocyte infiltration in the contusion. The ratio of CD4(+) lymphocytes to total cells in the lesions was 13.28 +/- 1.60% in the transplantation group and 0.41 +/- 0.12% in the controls (p < 0.01). Likewise, the ratio of CD8(+) lymphocytes to total cells was 5.11 +/- 1.03% in the transplantation group and 0.57 +/- 0.26% in the controls (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Neural stem cells possess immunogenicity and can induce lymphocyte infiltration when transplanted into a traumatised brain. Our findings imply that immunosuppressive treatment is necessary following neural stem cell transplantation.
Zheng
Xue-Sheng
XS
Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yang
Xiao-Feng
XF
Liu
Wei-Guo
WG
Pan
De-Sheng
DS
Hu
Wei-Wei
WW
Li
Gu
G
D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
D017252:CD3 Complex