Transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells promotes functional improvement and increased expression of neurotrophic factors in a rat focal cerebral ischemia model

Previous studies have suggested that intravenous transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in rat ischemia models reduces ischemia‐induced brain damage. Here, we analyzed the expression of neurotrophic factors in transplanted human MSCs and host brain tissue in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) ischemia model. At 1 day after transient MCAO, 3 × 10⁶ immortalized human MSC line (B10) cells or PBS was intravenously transplanted. Behavioral tests, infarction volume, and B10 cell migration were investigated at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after MCAO. The expression of endogenous (rat origin) and exogenous (human origin) neurotorphic factors and cytokines was evaluated by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis. Compared with PBS controls, rats receiving MSC transplantation showed improved functional recovery and reduced brain infarction volume at 7 and 14 days after MCAO. In MSC‐transplanted brain, among many neurotrofic factors, only human insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) was detected in the core and ischemic border zone at 3 days after MCAO, whereas host cells expressed markedly higher neurotrophic factors (rat origin) than control rats, especially vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at 3 days and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) at 7 days after MCAO. Intravenously transplanted human MSCs induced functional improvement, reduced infarct volume, and neuroprotection in ischemic rats, possibly by providing IGF‐1 and inducing VEGF, EGF, and bFGF neurotrophic factors in host brain. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.