Protective effects of puerarin combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on nerve injury in rats with ischemic stroke.

Background: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) transplantation shows promise for treating ischemic stroke, but the ischemic environment that follows cerebral infarction hinders the survival of transplanted cells. We aimed to study the effects of puerarin (Pue) in combination with BM-MSCs on cerebral ischemic injury.

Methods: After middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were prepared by suture-occluded method, rats were randomly allocated to the sham, MCAO, Pue (50 mg/kg), BM-MSCs (2×106), and BM-MSCs+Pue groups. The neurological function, infarct area, levels of inflammation-related factors, brain tissue damage, apoptosis, BrdU, Beclin1, and LC3 levels were then assessed.

Results: Pue and BM-MSCs reduced the modified neurological severity score, cerebral infarction area, and serum inflammation-related factor levels for MCAO rats. Furthermore, Pue and BM-MSCs interventions ameliorated brain tissue damage, and repressed apoptosis of brain tissues in MCAO rats. Moreover, Pue or BM-MSCs enhanced BrdU expression, restrained LC3II/LC3I ratio and Beclin 1 expression in MCAO rats' brain tissues. Importantly, the combination of Pue and BM-MSCs exhibited more pronounced effects on aforementioned outcomes.

Conclusion: The combination of Pue and BM-MSCs facilitated the recovery of neurological function in rats after cerebral ischemic damage, and the mechanisms may correlate with the repression of neuronal apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy.