title: Combination of ginsenoside Rg1 and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in the treatment of cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to explore the protective role and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation for cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rat brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, an Ischemia Reperfusion (IR) group, an IR group treated with BMSC transplantation (IR+BMSCs), an IR group treated with Rg1 (IR+Rg1), and an IR group treated with BMSC transplantation and Rg1 (IR+Rg1+BMSCs). To establish a CIRI model, right middle cerebral artery embolization was used. The neurological score, 2,3,5-triphenyltet-razolium chloride monohydrate (TTC) staining and brain water content were detected to assess the treatment efficiency. HE staining and TUNEL were used to explore the pathologic changes and apoptosis. To explore the protein levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), immunofluoresence was utilized. Western blotting was used to explore apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bax.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the sham group, the IR group demonstrated obvious ischemic changes, such as significant neurologic defects and enhanced brain water content. The Rg1 treatment resulted in an obvious decrease in cell apoptosis and improved ischemic conditions. By BMSC transplantation, the transplanted cells could be differentiated into neurons and glial cells, which also improved cerebral ischemia. More importantly, the IR+Rg1+BMSCs group showed the best treatment efficiency with reduced cell apoptosis and better cerebral recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Rg1 treatment resulted in an obvious decrease in cell apoptosis, while the transplanted cells could be differentiated into neurons and glial cells, which also improved cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Key lab of Molecular Cell Biology and New Drug Development, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Cuifen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Heming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ruiyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D036145:Ginsenosides; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; C035054:ginsenoside Rg1