Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (4): 528-535.doi: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2021.04.005

• Neurobiology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Improving effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on depression behavior in chronic stress model mice

ZHAO Bi-chun1 LI Cheng-gang2 ZHANG Yu-juan1 DU Ruo-chen1 YUAN Yi-tong1 ZHANG Ru-xin1 WANG Chun-fang1*   

  1. 1.Experimental Animal Center of Shanxi Medical University,Taiyuan 030001, China; 2.Department of Orthopedics,the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, China
  • Received:2020-10-10 Revised:2020-11-09 Online:2021-08-06 Published:2021-08-06
  • Contact: WANG Chun-fang E-mail:wangchunfang@sxmu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective  To study the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) tail vein transplantation on depressive behavior in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model mice.    Methods  The third generation hUCMSCs were abtained; Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into the normal model group (+ normal saline), the cell group (+hUCMSCs) and the fluoxetine(flu) group (+flu), with 15 mice in each group. The depression model of CUMS mice with a 6 week duration was constructed; From the third week, hUCMSCs and normal saline were transplanted into the mice by tail vein injection, and the mice were gavaged with flu daily from the fifth week; Weight changes in each group were recorded weekly; The depression model and therapeutic effect of mice were evaluated by sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and open field test; The cell changes of CA1 and CA3 region in hippocampus were observed by HE staining; Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect the changes of synapses in CA3 region of hippocampus; Real-time PCR was used to detect mRNA expressions of synaphysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density protein 95(PSD-95), which are key proteins of synptic plasticity.   Results  hUCMSCs improved weight decrease in depressed mice; behavioral experiments observed that the model group mice showed depressive behavior, while the cell group and the drug group mice depression were improved; HE staining showed that, compared with the model group, cells in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus of mice in the cell group and the group were arranged orderly and the number of cells increased; Transmission electron microscopy showed that compared with the model group, the number of synapses in the CA3 region of the hippocampus was more, the synaptic gap was narrower, and the density of synaptic spines was higher in the cell group and the drug group; More mRNA expressions of SYP and PSD-95 were detected by Real-time PCR in the cell group and the drug group than in the model group.    Conclusion  hUCMSCs transplatation showes antidepressant effects, which are associated with improved synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.

Key words: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell, Depression, Synaptic plasticity, Chronic unpredictable mild stress, Real-time PCR, Transmission electron microscopy, Mouse

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