Salvia miltiorrhiza injection combined with adipose-derived stem cell transplantation improves neurologic function of cerebral infarction rats

Yang Peng; Gao Da-wei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2017.29.014

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Both salvia miltiorrhiza injection and adipose-derived stem cells have evident neuroprotection against cerebral infarction in rats.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza injection combined with adipose-derived stem cell transplantation on cerebral infarction in rats and the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and beta-amyloid protein (Aβ) in the serum and brain tissues.METHODS:A rat model of cerebral infarction was successfully established in 63 rats,and then the model rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=21 per group):model group (cerebral infarction group with 30 μL of PBS via the tail vein),stem cell group (transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells,30 μL,3x106/L,via the tail vein),salvia miltiorrhiza injection + adipose-derived stem cell transplantation(combined group with transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells,30 μL,3x106/L,via the tail vein and intraperitoneal injection of salvia miltiorrhiza injection,0.5g/(kg·d) for consecutive 7 days).The modified neurological severity scores of each group were evaluated before and at 1,2,3,and 4 weeks after treatment.At 3 weeks after treatment,MTT assay was used to detect the serum levels of COX-2 and Aβ;2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was performed to detect infarction size;and RT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and Aβ in the brain tissues.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The modified neurological severity scores in the three groups were ranked as follows:combined group ＜ stem cell group ＜ model group,and there were significant differences between groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the model group,the levels of COX-2 and Aβ in the serum and brain tissues at protein and mRNA levels were significantly lower in the stem cell group and combined group;compared with the stem cell group (P ＜ 0.05),the levels of COX-2 and Aβ were significantly lower in the combined group (P ＜ 0.05).The infarct size was smallest in the combined group,followed by the stem cell group,and biggest in the model group (P ＜ 0.05).To conclude,salvia miltiorrhiza injection combined with adipose-derived stem cell transplantation can improve the neurological function of rats after cerebral infarction,probably through reducing the levels of COX-2 and Aβ in the rat brain and serum.