Spastic paresis after perinatal brain damage in rats is reduced by human cord blood mononuclear cells

ABSTRACT: Brain damage around birth may cause lifelong neu-rodevelopmental deficits. We examined the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord blood–derived mononuclear cells containing multipotent stem cells to facilitate motor recovery after cerebral hypoxic-ischemic damage in neonatal rats. Left carotid artery ligation followed by 8 % O2 inhalation for 80 min was performed on postnatal d 7, succeeded by intraperitoneal transplantation of human umbilical cord blood–derived mononuclear cells on postnatal d 8 in a sham-controlled design. Histologic and immunohistochemical analysis on postnatal d 21 revealed that neonates developed severe cerebral damage after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. These animals also suf-fered from contralateral spastic paresis, as evidenced by their loco-motor behavior. After transplantation of human umbilical cord blood–derived mononuclear cells, spastic paresis was largely allevi-ated, resulting in a normal walking behavior. This “therapeutic