Figure 4

MSCs in the brain. Seven days after injection of DiI-hMSCs using three methods in rats with MCAO, tissue sections of the brain were examined under a florescence microscope for the presence of DiI-hMSCs (red). (A) Representative images are shown. Mi-N, DiI-hMSCs delivered with a micro-injection needle plus PPA ligation; ICA-N, DiI-hMSCs delivered with an ICA injection needle; C, PPA, DiI-hMSCs delivered with a micro-injection needle without PPA ligation. Nuclei were stained with Hoechst (blue). (B) Quantitation of DiI-hMSCs in tissue sections as described in the ‘Methods’ (n = 4, *P <0.05). (C) mNSS scores of rats before and after receiving different treatments at times as indicated. hMSCs were injected one day post MCAO before mNSS evaluation. PBS, injection of equal volume of PBS with a micro-injection needle plus PPA ligation. *P <0.05. DiI, 1, 1′-dioctadecyl-3, 3, 3′, 3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate; DiI-hMSCs, DiI-labeled human mesenchymal stem cells; ICA, internal carotid artery; MCAO, middle cerebral artery occlusion; mNSS, modified neurology severity score; PPA, pterygopalatine artery.