Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells therapy regulates sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism to promote neurological recovery in stroke rats: A metabolomics analysis.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have therapeutic potential in the subacute/chronic phase of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. There is a knowledge gap in understanding the metabolic mechanisms of BMSCs in stroke therapy. In this study, we administered BMSCs intravenously 24 h after reperfusion in rats with transient cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The treatment with BMSCs for 21 days significantly reduced the modified neurological severity score of MCAO rats (P < 0.01) and increased the number of surviving neurons in both the striatum and hippocampal dentate gyrus region (P < 0.01, respectively). Moreover, BMSCs treatment resulted in significant enhancements in various structural parameters of dendrites in layer V pyramidal neurons in the injured hemispheric motor cortex, including total length (P < 0.05), number of branches (P < 0.05), number of intersections (P < 0.01), and spine density (P < 0.05). Then, we performed plasma untargeted metabolomics analysis to study the metabolic changes of BMSCs on AIS. There were 65 differential metabolites identified in the BMSCs treatment group. Metabolic profiling analysis revealed that BMSCs modulate abnormal sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism, particularly affecting core members such as sphingomyelin (SM), ceramide (Cer) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). The metabolic network analysis and pathway-based compound-reaction-enzyme-gene network analysis showed that BMSCs inhibited the Cer-induced apoptotic pathway and promoted the S1P signaling pathway. These findings suggest that the enhanced effects of BMSCs on neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity after stroke may be mediated through these pathways. In conclusion, our study provides novel insight into the potential mechanisms of BMSCs treatment in stroke and sheds light on the possible clinical translation of BMSCs.

Proinflammatory and Anti-inflammatory Genes in Stroke Pathogenesis.

The brain's response to ischemic injury is an acute and long-term inflammatory process. This process involves activation of resident cells (mainly microglia, hematogenous macrophages), production of proinflammatory mediators and infiltration of various proinflammatory cells (mainly neutrophils and lymphocytes). These cells play an essential role in ischemic brain tissue by releasing either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory mediators at different time points. However, the exact pathogenesis of proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory genes in this process has not yet been elucidated. This review aims to investigate the inflammatory process of stroke, especially the role of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes in the pathogenesis of stroke. We also summarize the current clinical trials of drugs that target the inflammatory mechanism for intervention.