This study aims to observe the effects of transplantation of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBMCs) on the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and explore the mechanism via the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway in hypoxic-ischemic neonatal rats.

Seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats were randomly divided into Sham, hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and UCBMC groups. The HIBD model was prepared by Rice-Vannucci method, and UCBMC were transplanted 24 h after HIBD in the UCBMC group. At 7 days after transplantation, changes in neurons and the TLR4 protein were examined by neuronal nuclei (NeuN)/TLR4 immunofluorescence staining. The expression of pNF-κB and IL-1β proteins was detected by immunohistochemical staining and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The percentage of NeuN⁺DAPI⁺ cells in the injured cortex in the UCBMC group was significantly higher than that in the HIBD group and lower than that in the Sham group (P < 0.05). The number of NeuN⁺TLR4⁺DAPI⁺cells in the UCBMC group was significantly lower than that in the HIBD group (P < 0.05) but higher than that in the Sham group (P < 0.05). More pNF-κB⁺ cells were observed in the HIBD group than in Sham and UCBMC groups (P < 0.05), and more pNF-κB⁺ cells were observed in the UCBMC group than in the Sham group (P < 0.05). ELISA results showed that the IL-1β expression in the injured cerebral cortex in the UCMBC group was significantly lower than that in the HIBD group but remained higher than that in the Sham group (P < 0.05).

UCBMC transplantation could inhibit the IL-1β protein expression in the injured cortex, thereby alleviating HIBD in neonatal rats. The underlying mechanism might be associated with the down- regulation of TLR4 and pNF-κB proteins.

A number of clinical trials of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) for the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) have been carried out all over the world. However, their safety and efficacy have not been basically evaluated. Moreover, there are no uniform standards laid out for the use of optimal source, transplantation method and the dosage of OECs.

This study evaluated the source, dose, and route of transplantation of OECs for the treatment of chronic SCI.

PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched for the clinical studies of OECs in the treatment of chronic SCI on July 2018.

A total of 30 articles on OECs transplantation for chronic SCI were selected for comprehensive evaluation of OECs sources, doses, and transplantation methods. The efficacy of OECs in the treatment of chronic SCI was evaluated using Review Manager 5.3.

Fetal OECs are the primary source of cells for the treatment of chronic SCI in OECs, with standardized cell-culture and quality-control processes. Fetal OECs can significantly improve the neurological function of patients with chronic SCI. It is an ideal cell therapy for neurorestoration. However to explore more precise and minimally invasive treatment options are required in the future.

To explore the therapeutic effects of melatonin by two different routes, by caudal vein and intraperitoneal injection, on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in adult rats.

60 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control (CON), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), intraperitoneal and caudal vein injection groups. Nissl and immunohistochemical staining were used to observe the morphological and quantitative changes of neurons and the expression of cleaved Caspase-3, Fas and FasL proteins in the injured cerebral cortex.

More Nissl-stained and NeuN⁺ cells were observed in both the intraperitoneal and caudal vein injection groups as compared with the MCAO group (P < 0.05), and the number of Nissl-stained and NeuN⁺ cells in caudal vein injection group was significantly higher than in intraperitoneal injection group at each time point (all P < 0.05). There were fewer cleaved Caspase-3⁺, Fas⁺ and FasL⁺ cells in both intraperitoneal and caudal vein injection groups than that in MCAO group 24 hours and 72 hours after IR (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, there were significantly fewer cleaved Caspase-3⁺, Fas⁺ and FasL⁺ cells in caudal vein injection group than in intraperitoneal group (all P < 0.05).

Melatonin therapy by both intraperitoneal and caudal vein injection could alleviate the expression of cleaved Caspase-3, Fas and FasL proteins in the cerebral cortex in rats after cerebral ischemia reperfusion and protect the neurons from injury, and had neuroprotective effects, and the therapeutic effect by caudal vein injection was better than by intraperitoneal injection.