title: Therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells in a rat model of stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSC) have recently been identified as ideal candidate stem cells for cell-based therapy. The present study was designed to evaluate therapeutic potentials of intracerebral administration of UC-MSC in a rat model of stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were subjected to 2-hr middle cerebral artery occlusion and received 2 10 UC-MSC or phosphate-buffered saline as a control. Neurologic function evaluation was conducted weekly after transplantation. Brain injury volume and in vivo differentiation of transplanted UC-MSC were detected 2 or 5 weeks after the UC-MSC treatment. In addition, vascular density, vascular endothelial growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor expression in ipsilateral hemisphere after treatment and in vitro angiogenic potential of UC-MSC were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The transplanted UC-MSC survived for at least 5 weeks in rat brain. Compared with the phosphate-buffered saline control, the UC-MSC treatment significantly reduced injury volume and neurologic functional deficits of rats after stroke. In ischemic brain, UC-MSC widely incorporated into cerebral vasculature and a subset of them was capable of differentiating into endothelial cells. Furthermore, the UC-MSC treatment substantially increased vascular density and vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor expression in ipsilateral hemisphere of stroke. In vitro induction and tube formation assay further confirmed their angiogenic properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UC-MSC transplantation could accelerate neurologic functional recovery of rats after stroke, which may be mediated by their ability to promote angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology, CAMS & PUMC, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Pengxia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shaoguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jiming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhibo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Zhong Chao
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020521:Stroke / Q000601:surgery*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous