title: The effects of fibroblast growth factor-2 and pluripotent astrocytic stem cells on cognitive function in a rat model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the effect of pluripotent astrocytic stem cells (PASCs) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) on cognitive function in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed on 7-d-old rats that were randomly divided into four groups. All rats, except those in the sham group, were kept in a hypoxic chamber containing 8% oxygen for 2 h after the ligation of the right carotid artery. Next, 5 d after HIBI was induced, PASCs were administered to the motor cortex, and FGF-2 was administered intraperitoneally to group AF; PASCs were administered to the motor cortex, and salt solution buffered with phosphate was administered intraperitoneally to group A; and fresh cell culture solution (medium) was administered to group M. Immunofluorescence was used to localize the administered PASCs in the brains of rats from groups A and AF. The Morris water maze tank (MWM) test was performed to assess the rats' cognitive functions at week 12. The rats that were administered PASCs were observed for the development of neoplasms and autopsies were performed after 30 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PASCs migrated to damaged brain regions surrounding the hippocampus in groups A and AF. The mean platform finding time (PFT) significantly decreased over time in each group on day 1-4 of MWM testing (p < 0.001). On day 2-4, the mean PFT was shortest in group S followed by group AF. In group A, the PFT was significantly longer than in group S on day 3-4 (p = 0.01 and 0.007, respectively). On day 5 of the MWM test, the time spent in the eastern quadrant (which previously contained the platform) was longest in group S followed by groups AF, A, and M; however, the differences between groups were not significant (p = 0.51). After 30 months, none of the rats in groups A or AF had benign or malignant neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following the administration of PASCs in rats with experimentally induced HIBI, PASCs migrated to the injured brain regions; however, treatment with PASCs did not have a positive effect on cognitive function. The administration of FGF-2 together with PASCs resulted in positive cognitive results, although not at the level of significance.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit , Mersin University School of Medicine , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Yalçın
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Aytuğ
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atıcı
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beydağı
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reşitoğlu
authors.affiliation: d Department of Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Necat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: e Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Ün
authors.affiliation: f Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: g Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bağdatoğlu
authors.affiliation: g Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dağtekin
authors.affiliation: h Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sungur
authors.affiliation: e Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine , Mersin University , Mersin , Turkey .
authors.forename: Nalan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tiftik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
keywords: Fibroblast growth factor-2; hypoxic-ischemic brain injury; stem cell