Motor Function Recovery after Adipose Tissue Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Rats with Cerebral Infarction.

Kim, Chang Hwan; Kim, Yong Woon; Jang, Sung Ho; Chang, Chul Hoon; Jung, Jae Ho; Kim, Seong Ho

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2006;40(4): 267-272.

Chang Hwan Kim, Yong Woon Kim, Sung Ho Jang, Chul Hoon Chang, Jae Ho Jung, Seong Ho Kim

¹Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea. shkim@medical.yu.ar.kr
²Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
³Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
⁴Department of Plastic Surgery, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE
There have been recent reports that mesenchymal stromal cells that are harvested from adipose tissue are able to differentiate into neurons. In the present study, we administered adipose tissue derived stem cells in rats with cerebral infarction in order to determine whether those stem cells could enhance the recovery of motor function.
METHODS
Cerebral infarction was induced by intraluminal occlusion of middle cerebral artery in rats. The adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells were harvested from inguinal fat pad and proliferated for 2 weeks in DMEM media. Approximately 1 x 10(6) cells were injected intravenously or into subdural space of the peri-lesional area. The rotor rod test was performed at preoperative state(before MCA occlusion), and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after the cell therapy.
RESULTS
The motor functions that were assessed by rotor rod test at 1 week of the cell therapy were nearly zero among the experimental groups. However, there was apparent motor function recovery after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of cell injection in intravenously treated rats and peri-lesionaly treated rats, respectively, while there was no significant improvement till 8 weeks in vehicle treated rats.
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that the adipose derived stem cell treatment improves motor function recovery in rats with cerebral infarction.

Key Words: Cerebral infarction; Adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cell; Motor function recovery