title: Transplantation of mouse embryonic stem cell after middle cerebral artery occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stem cell transplantation has been extensively studied as individual therapies for ischemic stroke. The present investigation is an initial effort to combine these methods to achieve increased therapeutic effects after brain ischemia. Cell transplantation may recover massive neuronal loss by replacing damaged brain cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells were used to induce differentiation in vitro into neuron-like cells with good cell viability for use a graft. In this study, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was induced in rats using intra-luminal vascular occlusion, and infused mES cells after MCAO. The animals were examined behaviorally using motor and sensory test with neurological assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Motor function of the recipients was gradually improved, whereas little improvement was observed in control rats. This result may suggest that the grafted cells have synaptic connection in the recipient brain. Our study revealed that stem cell transplantation can have a positive effect on behavioral recovery and reduction of infarct size in focal ischemic rats. Consequently after euthanasia, rats were histochemically investigated to explore graft survival with green fluorescent protein (GFP).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mouse embryonic stem cells may have advantage for use as a donor source in various neurological disorders including motor dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medical Service, Namseoul University, Chungnam, Korea. thlee@nsu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tae-Hoon
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yoon-Seok
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous