OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of CatWalk automated gait analysis system for evaluation of motor function of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell (UC-MSC) treatment.

METHODSEighteen Wistar rats were randomized equally into normal control group, TBI ∓ saline group, and TBI ∓ UC-MSCs group. The rats in the latter two groups were subjected to weight-drop impact to induce TBI followed by injection UC-MSCs or saline into the lesion 7 days after TBI. The neurological function was assessed using CatWalk system and modified neurological severity scores (mNSS) before and 3 days after TBI and 7 days after UC-MSC transplantation. The rats were sacrificed 14 days after the cell transplantation and the brain sections were stained for immunohistochemical analyses.

RESULTSThree days after TBI, mNSS test showed moderate injury of the rats. Seven days after the cell transplantation, the rats showed significant motor function improvement and CatWalk analysis indicated partial recovery of the gait parameters of the 4 limbs compared to the rats with saline treatment. Histological analyses showed that DiO-labeled UC-MSCs were present in the lesion boundary and expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein and β-tubulin III.

CONCLUSIONUC-MSC transplantation can promote functional improvement of the brain after TBI in rats. Compared with mNSS test, CatWalk analysis is more sensitive and objective for assessing neurological function and also provides more detailed information on specific gait parameters.