Study of dopamine-producing cells derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in treatment in rats with Parkinson’s disease / 天津医药

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the efficacy of dopamine producing cells (DPCs) derived from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in treatment in model rats with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods The cultured hUC-MSCs were induced into DPCs in vitro. The dopamine (DA) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) expression levels were detected by ELISA to identify the DPCs. The PD rat model was established by injecting 6-OHDA into the right substantia nigra (SN). A total of 60 successfulled PD model rats were randomized into hUC-MSCs-DPCs group (5 × 105 hUC-MSCs-DPCs were transplanted into right striatum, n=20), hUC-MSCs group (5 × 105 hUC-MSCs were transplanted, n=20) and control group (same volume PBS, n=20). All the transplanted cells were labeled with CM-Dil. The apomorphine induced rotation behavior was assessed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after cell transplantation. The rats were executed after 12 weeks. The immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression level, and FLUORO-JADE? C staining was used to test the apoptotic neurons in brain of rats. Results The hUC-MSCs-DPCs were induced successfully in vitro, which showed a high expression level of DA and GDNF. Furthermore, at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after cell transplantation, the rotation behavior was improved, and expression levels of GDNF were significantly higher in hUC-MSCs-DPCs group than those of hUC-MSCs group and control group (P<0.05). In addition, we found that most of the transplanted TH+hUC-MSCs-DPCs at the right striatum and a few cells around both the left and the right substantia nigra at 12 weeks after transplantation. The apoptotic neurons were decreased after cell transplantation in hUC-MSCs-DPCs group than that of control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The hUC-MSCs-DPCs can improve the rotational behavior induced by apomorphine in PD model rats, which may be involved in improving levels of DA and GDNF in damaged striatum and protecting neurons.