Secretome from Stem Cells Probably Alleviates Neural Injury of Stroke in the Ischemic Stroke Animal Model

Introduction: There has been no tretment option for subacute cerebral infarction except antiplatelet medication. Milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor VIII (MFG-E8) is a potentially crucial element in inflammatory responses and shows promise as a neuroprotective agent for alleviating brain injury in subacute cerebral infarction.

Methods: In our research, we employed an animal model of focal cerebral ischemia by occluding the middle cerebral artery in rats using the modified intraluminal filament technique. After inducing ischemia, the rats were divided into two groups and randomly administered either recombinant human MFG-E8 or saline treatment, with assessments conducted 24 hours later. We evaluated functional outcomes using the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS) and determined infarct volumes through histology. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis.

Results: Our results indicated that intravenous administration of MFG-E8 did not decrease the infarct volume. However, the mNSS test demonstrated a significant improvement in neurobehavioral deficits in the MFG-E8-treated group compared to the control group. Immumohistochemistry studies showed that the BrdU/doublecortin co-localized cells and the RECA-1 positive cells significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the MFG-E8 treated group. On the contrary, the IBA-1 positive cells significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in the MFG-E8 treated group.

Conclusion : These findings suggest that MFG-E8 enhances neurological function by suppressing inflammation and promoting angiogenesis and neuronal proliferation during the subacute phase of cerebral infarction. Further study for revealing the mechanisms of therapeutic effect of MFG-E8 will be guaranteed.