OBJECTIVETo study the effects of umbilical cord monoculcear cells (UCBMC) transplantation combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on the long-term behaviors and histology in neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD).

METHODSSeven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: normal control (CON), HIBD, UCBMC and UCBMC+HBO. HIBD was induced according to the Rice-Vannucci method. The rats in the UCBMC+HBO group were treated with HBO 3 hours after HIBD, followed by UCBMC transplantation 24 hours after HIBD. IL-1β and TNF-α protein levels were examined by Western blot analysis in the 4 groups. T-maze test and radial arm maze test were used to detect the long-term learning memory capability. Nissl staining was used to examine the histological changes of the hippocampal CA1 region.

RESULTSTwenty-four hours after transplantation, IL-1β and TNF-α protein levels in the UCBMC+HBO group were significantly reduced compared with the HIBD (P<0.01) and UCBMC groups (P<0.05). The study and memory capabilities were impaired, and the number of the pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region was reduced in the HIBD group. The study and memory capabilities were greatly improved and the number of pyramidal cells increased significantly in the UCBMC+HBO group compared with the UCBMC and HIBD groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSUCBMC transplantation combined with HBO therapy could reduce the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α protein, improve long-term behaviors and alleviate brain damages in the hypoxic ischemic neonatal rats.