Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on behavior and structural changes in myelin in experimental rat autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Jun-Mei Zhang, Hua Wang , Yu-Ying Fan, Feng-Hua Yang

Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110004, China;

For correspondence:- Hua Wang Email: 18940257033@163.com

Accepted: 28 October 2018 Published: 30 Nobember 2018

Citation: Zhang J, Wang H, Fan Y, Yang F. Effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on behavior and structural changes in myelin in experimental rat autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Trop J Pharm Res 2018; 17(11):2219-2225 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v17i11.16

© 2018 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) transplantation on behavior and structural changes in myelin of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats.

Methods: Wistar rats were randomly assigned to normal control, EAE, placebo injection treatment, and MSCs treatment. EAE, placebo injection treatment and MSCs treatment groups were further divided into six groups, i.e., 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 21-day, and 28-day post-onset. Changes in the disease status of the rats and structural changes in myelin at different time points were assessed with silver staining.

Results: Behavioral changes peaked between 13 to 17 days post-immunization (71.90 % incidence), while disease symptoms peaked between 3 and 5 days after onset, were sustained for about 7 days, and then eased gradually thereafter. The highest therapeutic scores and the entire course of the disease in EAE and placebo treatment groups were not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, in MSC treatment group, these parameters were significantly lower than in the above two groups (p < 0.05). In EAE and placebo treatment groups, myelin sheath lesions were obvious from day 3 to 7 but on day 14, the number of myelin sheath fragments decreased significantly. Recovery at different time points was also better than those in EAE and placebo treatment groups.

Conclusion: MSC transplantation shortens the course of EAE, and also reduces its severity. Thus, it has some prospects for use in the management of EAE.

Keywords: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, Autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Transplantation, Myelin