Metabolic changes in the rat brain after a photochemical lesion treated by stem cell transplantation assessed by 1H MRS.
OBJECTIVE
Metabolite changes in an experimental lesion in the rat cortex and in the contralateral hemisphere after the intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were assessed by proton MR spectroscopy to verify the impact of the cell treatment on the brain tissue.


METHODS
Wistar rats with a photochemical cortical lesion and transplanted MSCs or sham transplanted rats were examined. Proton spectra were obtained from the lesion and from the contralateral cortex.


RESULTS
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a gradual recovery of the damaged tissue; however, we found no significant differences in metabolite concentrations in the lesioned hemisphere between treated and untreated animals. Higher concentrations of glutamate and N-acetyl aspartate were found in the contralateral hemisphere in cell-treated animals compared to untreated ones. Lesioned animals showed neurogenesis in the contralateral hemisphere; the number of newly generated cells in stem cell-treated animals was 50% higher than those observed in untreated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
No direct impact of cell transplantation was observed in the lesion. However, changes in the contralateral hemisphere suggest that the transplanted MSCs might stimulate repair processes and plasticity resulting in the generation of newborn cells, which might enable the faster adoption of the damaged tissue's function by healthy tissue.
Herynek
Vít
V
MR-Unit, Department of Radiodiagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Vídenská 1958/9, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic. vit.herynek@medicon.cz
Růzicková
Katerina
K
Jendelová
Pavla
P
Syková
Eva
E
Hájek
Milan
M
D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005269:Femur / Q000473:pathology; D005295:Ferrocyanides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
D005295:Ferrocyanides; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; C000170:ferric ferrocyanide