Figures
Evaluation of the ischemic lesion volume with magnetic resonance imaging T2-weighted images (T2WI). Rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or vehicle (fresh Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium) were intravenously infused 6 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The T2WI were obtained at days 1, 14, and 35 from the 4 experimental groups after MCAO induction: (A) group 1 (vehicle only), (B) group 2 (vehicle + exercise), (C) group 3 (MSCs only), and (D) group 4 (MSCs + exercise). Scale bar=5 mm. (E) A summary of lesion volume evaluated with T2WI were obtained 1, 14, and 35 days after MCAO in the 4 experimental groups. R=right, L=left. * P<.01.
Synaptogenesis in the motor cortex in the infarcted hemisphere at layer III/IV was analyzed with a confocal microscopy. (A) Images were obtained from a boxed area in the motor cortex in infarcted hemisphere. (B) Infused green flourescent protein-mesenchymal stem cells GFP-MSCs (green) were present in the motor cortex in the infarcted hemisphere counterstained with DAPI (blue) 3 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion (n=3). Green flourescent protein (green) was observed in the cytoplasm, and DAPI is stained nucleus. No green cells were observed in these lesions after infusion of MSCs derived from wild-type Sprague-Dawley rats (inset). (C) Representative images of immunohisotochemical study for synaptophysin from intact animals (C-1), group 1 (vehicle only) (C-2), group 2 (vehicle + exercise) (C-3), group 3 (MSCs only) (C-4), and group 4 (MSCs + exercise) (C-5). (D) Quantitative analysis of density of synaptic puncta in the intact and 4 experimental groups. * P<.05. ** P<.01. Scale bar=10 μm.
(A) The increased expression of synaptic marker protein correlated well with increased Limb Placement Test (LPT) scores, as illustrated by positive correlations between the density of synaptic puncta and LPT scores (r=.92, P<.01). (B) The increased thickness of corpus callosum (CC) correlated well with increased LPT scores, as illustrated by positive correlations between the thickness of CC and LPT scores (r=.78, P<.01). Group 1=vehicle only, group 2=vehicle + exercise, group 3=mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) only, and group 4=MSCs + exercise.
Assessment of behavioral function with the Limb Placement Test (LPT). One day after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), there was no statistical difference in LPT score among the 4 experimental groups. From day 14 on, groups 3 and 4 showed greater functional improvement compared with groups 1 and 2, but group 4 showed more improvement compared with group 3 at 35 days after MCAO. Group 1=vehicle only, group 2=vehicle + exercise, group 3=mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) only, and group 4=MSCs + exercise. * P<.01.
(A) Corpus callosum thickness was measured at the midline with T2-weighted images. (B) Quantitative results of corpus callosum thickness. Group 1=vehicle only, group 2=vehicle + exercise, group 3=mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) only, and group 4=MSCs + exercise. * P<.01.
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