Stroke is the third most common cause of death, and a leading cause of physical disability in adults. Recovery after a major stroke is usually limited, but cell therapy, especially by application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is emerging with fixed neurologic deficits. The aim of the current study was directed to isolation and cultivation of the bone marrow (BM) derived MSCs from young rats, as well as to study the role of intravenous administration of BM-MSCs in mature male rats as an animal model for Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion (MCAO). MSCs are spindle in shape fibroblast-like cells and possess the ability to aggregate and form colonies-forming unit – fibroblast (CFU-F). MSCs showed positive response for CD105+ (the specific marker for MSCs detection) and negative response for surface marker (CD34¯), characteristic for the hematopoietic cells. The immunohistochemistry study of intravenous administration of Bromodeoxyyuridin (BrdU) labeled BM-MSCs after 24 h of mechanical MCAO in mature rats, demonstrated survival, engraftment and migration of systemically delivered cells in the cerebral cortex and heart tissues. However, these cells were not indicated in the lung and liver tissues. In conclusion, intravenously administered BM-MSCs enter brain and heart, and survive of this, may provide a cell source to treat stroke and heart disease. 

 

Key words: Middle cerebral artery occlusion, mesenchymal stem cells, rats, transplantation, bromodeoxyyuridin.