Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells promotes the functional recovery of the central nervous system following cerebral ischemia by inhibiting myelin-associated inhibitor expression and neural apoptosis

Cerebral ischemia, which may lead to cerebral hypoxia and damage of the brain tissue, is a leading cause of human mortality and adult disability. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a class of adult progenitor cells with the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types. The transplantation of bone marrow-derived MSCs is a potential therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, primary MSCs were isolated from healthy rats, labeled and transplanted into the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion rat models. The location of the labeled MSCs in the rat brains were determined by fluorescent microscopy, and the neurological functions of the rats were scored. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that the protein expression levels of myelin-associated inhibitors of regeneration, including Nogo-A, oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein and myelin-associated glycoprotein, were decreased following transplantation of the bone marrow-derived MSCs. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of Capase-3 and B-cell lymphoma 2, as determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reactions, were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in the MSC-transplanted rats; thus suggesting that neural apoptosis was inhibited. The results of the present study suggested that the transplantation of bone marrow-derived MSCs was able to promote the functional recovery of the central nervous system following cerebral ischemia. Accordingly, inhibitors targeting myelin-associated inhibitors and apoptosis may be of clinical significance for cerebral ischemia in the future.