AUTHOR=Wang Meiyao , Li Yan , Zhang Renwei , Zhang Shuaimei , Feng Hongliang , Kong Zhaohong , Aiziretiaili Nadire , Luo Zhengjin , Cai Qi , Hong Yan , Liu Yumin 

TITLE=Adiponectin-Transfected Endothelial Progenitor Cells Have Protective Effects After 2-Hour Middle-Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.630681

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2021.630681

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Patients who suffer from T2DM and stroke have worse outcomes, the risk of recurrent strokes, poor prognosis and the risk of morbidity and mortality. We researched the neuroprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of treatment with Adiponectin-transfected Endothelial Progenitor Cells (LV-APN-EPCs) in T2DM stroke rats. Compared with phosphate-buffered saline, LV-EPCs and EPCs groups, better neurological function and less infarct volume were significantly found in the LV-APN-EPCs group (all P < 0.05). LV-APN-EPCs alleviated the morphological damage in the ischemic brain. LV-APN-EPCs treatment inhibited the neuronal apoptosis, increased the expressions of B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) protein and decreased the levels of Bcl-2-associated X protein in the peri-infarct cortex. LV-APN-EPCs treatment significantly promoted capillary regeneration as indicated by increased cluster of differentiated (CD)31(+) microvessels in the ischemic border zone. LV-APN-EPCs significantly increased the expressions of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase and vascular endothelial growth factor in the ischemic brain. These results suggested that LV-APN-EPCs treatment initiated 14 days after stroke significantly improved neurological functional deficits, reduced infarct volume and decreased neuronal apoptosis, which had neuroprotective effects on T2DM stroke rats. Increasing angiogenesis effect may be the underlying mechanism of treatment with LV-APN-EPCs.