title: Effects of neural progenitor cells on sensorimotor recovery and endogenous repair mechanisms after photothrombotic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intravenous neural progenitor cell (NPC) treatment was shown to improve functional recovery after experimental stroke. The underlying mechanisms, however, are not completely understood so far. Here, we investigated the effects of systemic NPC transplantation on endogenous neurogenesis and dendritic plasticity of host neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four hours after photothrombotic ischemia, adult rats received either 5 million NPC or placebo intravenously. Behavioral tests were performed weekly up to 4 weeks after ischemia. Endogenous neurogenesis, dendritic length, and dendritic branching of cortical pyramid cells and microglial activation were quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NPC treatment led to a significantly improved sensorimotor function measured by the adhesive removal test. The dendritic length and the amount of branch points were significantly increased after NPC transplantation, whereas endogenous neurogenesis was decreased compared to placebo therapy. Decreased endogenous neurogenesis was associated with an increased number of activated microglial cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that an increased dendritic plasticity might be the structural basis of NPC-induced functional recovery. The decreased endogenous neurogenesis after NPC treatment seems to be mediated by microglial activation.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Münster, Department of Neurology, Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 33, 48149 Münster, Germany. minnerup@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minnerup
authors.forename: Jeong Beom
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diederich
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: Jan-Kolja
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.forename: E Bernd
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Ringelstein
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Hans R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Schöler
authors.forename: Wolf-Rüdiger
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Schäbitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051379:Mice; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*