Correction of Postischemic Changes in the Microcirculation of Rat Cerebral Cortex with Mesenchymal Stem Cells

• Published in: Cell and tissue biology Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 32 - 37
• Main Authors: Sokolova, I. B., Gorshkova, O. P., Pavlichenko, N. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-02-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain injury; Cell Biology; Cell therapy; Cerebral cortex; Cortex (somatosensory); Intravenous administration; Ischemia; Lasers; Life Sciences; Mesenchymal stem cells; Microvasculature; Perfusion; Pial artery; Reperfusion; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Traumatic brain injury; Veins & arteries; ischemia/reperfusion; reactivity; perfusion; microvascular density; mesenchymal stem cells; intravenous transplantation; brain
• ISSN: 1990-519X; 1990-5203
• DOI: 10.1134/S1990519X22010102

This study aims at examining how intravenous transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) performed on the day of ischemia/reperfusion affects the vascular density and the reactivity of the pial arteries and tissue perfusion in the cerebral cortex 7, 14, and 21 days after ischemic exposure. The density of the entire microvascular network and arterial vessels in the pial membrane of the sensorimotor cortex of rats undergoing cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/P) and MSC intravenous transplantation were assessed with equipment for microcirculation monitoring. The same setup was used to study the reactivity of the pial arteries exposed to acetylcholine (ACh). In parallel, the perfusion index (PI) was measured in the sensorimotor cortex using a LAKK-M laser Doppler system. The density of the entire microvascular network and arterial vessels decreased more than in the case of sham-operated (SO) rats in the first 7 days after I/R: by 1.6 and 1.4 times on average, respectively. After 14 days, these indicators were 1.4 and 1.2 times; after 21 days, 1.2 and 1.3 times. In animals that underwent I/R, the reactivity of the pial arteries to ACh significantly declined. Seven days after I/R, the number of dilating arteries decreased by 1.4–1.7 times; after 14 days, by 1.6–1.9 times; and, after 21 days, by 1.2–1.7 times. After 21 days, the PI level decreased statistically significantly (on average, by 1.6 times). Intravenous administration of MSCs preserved the density of the microvascular network of the pial membrane in rats at the level of control animals at all periods after I/R. The PI 21 days after I/R was 1.2 times lower than in the SO group, but statistically higher than in rats with ischemic brain injury without MSC administration. It is concluded that intravenous transplantation of MSCs made it possible to prevent degradation of the microvascular bed in the cerebral cortex of rats after I/R and to preserve the reactivity of the pial arteries at the level of control animals. The reactivity in the cell therapy group also did not differ from the control values. The PI 21 days after I/R was 1.2 times lower than in the SO group, but statistically higher than in rats with ischemic brain injury without MSC administration. It is concluded that intravenous transplantation of MSCs made it possible to prevent degradation of the microvascular system in the cerebral cortex of rats after I/R and to preserve the reactivity of the pial arteries at the level of control animals.