Intravenous human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for ischemic stroke in rats: an analysis of functional and ischemic brain areas outcomes

Cellular therapies have been implicated in treating and rehabilitating ischemic stroke (IS), involving the basic experimental and preclinical areas. Using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from human dental pulp has shown promising results in animal models, but still with mechanisms and consequences that are not entirely clear. The study aims to evaluate the effects of intravenous MSC on rats with IS regarding neurological function and histological areas of ischemia. Thirty-two male Wistar rats underwent temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (TOMCA) for 60 minutes and were divided into two groups of 16 animals each. One group received dental pulp MSC intravenously, and another received saline 2 hours after TOMCA. The animals were then evaluated using the neurological functionality scales for 15 days, and at the end of the experiment period, the histological areas of cerebral ischemia were analysed. All animals presented ischemic areas and neurological deficits compatible with IS. There was partial recovery of the functionality scores over the evaluation period, and all animals presented focal cerebral ischemia measured by histological analysis; however, there was no statistical difference between the groups. The TOMCA model was effective in reproducing IS. Although we found no difference between treatment groups, our results were useful in showing the pattern of neurological recovery presented by animals treated with dental pulp MSC and the need to extend the evaluation time for a longer period and use more sensitive functional tests. The results add valuable data for improving research with dental pulp MSC in the murine model of IS.