Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Combined with Oxiracetam Influences the Expression of B-cell Lymphoma 2 in Rats with Ischemic Stroke

This study aimed to investigate the combination effects of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and oxiracetam for ischemic stroke. Forty Sprague Dawley female rats (220 ± 20 g) were subjected to a 2-hour ischemic middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-24 hours reperfusion model. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. Rats from BMSCs group, oxiracetam group, and BMSCs + oxiracetam group accepted injection of BMSCs (3 × 106 cells), oxiracetam (800 mg/kg), and BMSCs + oxiracetam, respectively. Rats from control group did not receive any interventions after ischemia reperfusion. The neurologic function was examined by modified neurological severity scores (mNSS). B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression and apoptosis were detected by immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The mNSS was decreased in all treatment groups and that in BMSCs + oxiracetam group was lower than BMSCs group and oxiracetam group (P < .05). The expression of Bcl-2 was unregulated in all treatment groups (P < .05), and similarly, the expression of Bcl-2 in BMSCs + oxiracetam group was higher than BMSCs group and oxiracetam group (P < .05). Control group displayed more TUNEL-positive cells than the treatment groups, and BMSCs + oxiracetam group displayed less apoptotic cells than BMSCs group or oxiracetam group (P < .05). Transplantation of BMSCs can promote the recovery of neurologic function in MCAO rats, and the effect of BMSCs combined with oxiracetam was better than the either one. Upregulation of Bcl-2 resulting in a decrease of apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms of BMSCs treatment for cerebral ischemic stroke.