Biomedical Research

Objective: To explore the effect of bone marrow mononuclear cells transplantation on the expression of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and neuronal apoptosis in rats with traumatic brain injury.

Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (CON group), brain injury group (TBI group) and traumatic brain injury+Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell transplantation group (BMMC group), establishing models of rat with brain trauma through free-falling method, taking single enucleated cells from bone marrow and transplanting them into pericontusional tissues in the brain. The neurological function severity scores (mNSS) were record 1, 4, 8, 16 d after cerebral trauma. Conducting apoptosis detection of cortical neurons injury by flow cytometry 4 d after cerebral trauma; performing RT-PCR experiment to detect BDNF mRNA 7 d later and doing immunohistochemistry detection 16 d later.

Results: The transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells decreases significantly the mNSS score (P<0.01) of the rats after traumatic brain injury. Mononuclear cells transplantation can increase the expression of BDNF mRNA in rats with traumatic brain injury and avoid cortex neuron apoptosis (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The bone marrow mononuclear cells transplantation promotes the nerve function recovery in rats with traumatic brain injury by facilitating the expression of BDNF mRNA and inhibiting the apoptosis of cortical neurons.

Author(s): Zhiqiang Wei, Liang Han, Dongfang Zhao, Liping Guan
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