Effect of human amnion epithelial cells on stroke outcome in mice

Abstract

We tested whether stem cells derived from the placenta (human amnion epithelial cells; hAECs) may represent a novel effective therapy for stroke. Male C57Bl6 mice were subjected to 0.5 h middle cerebral artery occlusion‐reperfusion, and injected with 1×106 fluorescently‐labelled hAECs or saline (vehicle) i.v. at either 1 h (acute treatment) or at 72 h (delayed treatment) post‐stroke and brains were removed after 3 or 14 d, respectively. Neurological and motor function as well as infarct damage were significantly improved in mice treated with hAECs vs. vehicle 1 h post‐stroke. Furthermore, immunofluorescence of the key marker of apoptosis, cleaved caspase‐3, revealed that less apoptosis occurred in the infarct core of mice treated with hAECs. Moreover, mice that received delayed post‐stroke hAEC treatment had improved survival to 14 d compared with vehicle‐treated mice, although functional outcomes did not differ between surviving animals from each treatment group. Thus, early post‐stroke i.v. delivery of hAECs reduces brain injury and functional deficit, and delayed post‐stroke hAEC treatment improves 14 d survival. hAECs could be a viable therapy for promoting recovery following stroke.