One of the newest methods to reduce
cerebral ischemia damages is
cell therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Sertoli cell
transplantation on
ischemia-induced
injuries in animal models of
stroke. Rats were divided into four groups: transplant+ischemia,
ischemia,
sham, and control. Sertoli cells were separated from the other testis of rats and cultured. Unilateral Sertoli cell
transplantation was performed in the right striatum by using stereotaxic surgery. For induction of
brain ischemia,
middle cerebral artery occlusion surgery was used 14 days after
transplantation. By using western blotting method, expression of nuclear factor kappa (NF-кB) and Bax were evaluated. In this study, a remarkable decrease in neurological deficits,
infection, blood-brain barrier permeability, and
brain edema was observed in the cell transplant recipient group in comparison with the
ischemia group. Probably, a reduction in
inflammation (NF-кB factor) and apoptosis (Bax) following injection of Sertoli cells result in amelioration of ischemic damages induced by MCAO surgery.