To investigate the neuroprotective effect of combined application of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and Ginkgolide K (GK) intraperitoneal injection for rat focal cerebral ischemia.

In all rats, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was produced by occlusion of right internal carotid artery with a nylon monofilament. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into five groups by the random digits table, 10 rats in each group, including Sham group, saline solution intraperitoneal injection group, GK intraperitoneal injection group, BMSCs+ saline solution intraperitoneal group, and BMSCs+ GK intraperitoneal injection group. The neurological defective scores were assessed at 72, 120, 168 h after reperfusion respectively in each experiment and all the animals were then decapitated to determine the brain infarct volume and brain water content after 168 h. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was detected by Western blotting.

The expression of VEGF was increased significantly after intraperitoneal injection of GK. Combined treatment of BMSCs and GK could significantly decrease the number of apoptosis cells [(18.8±3.6)/HP, F=167.531, P<0.01] and infarct volumes [(17.31±5.24)%, F=34.910, P<0.01], brain water content in ischemia hemisphere [(73.55±0.53)%, F=65.128, P<0.01]. The values of neurological defective scores in BMSCs+ GK injection group were significantly lower than the rest groups [120 h: (3.51±0.46), F=15.473, P<0.01; 168 h: (2.03±0.35), F=21.711, P<0.01].

Combined treatment of BMSCs intro-ventricular transplantation and GK intraperitoneal injection produces a synergistic neuroprotective effect.

Vascular endothelial growth factor; Bone marrow; Mesenchymal stem cells; Ginkgolide K