[Effects of neural stem cells transplanted into an animal model of Alzheimer disease on Aβ plaques].

Objective: To explore the effects on Aβ plaques of neural stem cells transplanted into an Alzheimer disease mouse model.

Methods: A total of twenty 12-months-old APP+PS1 double transgenic AD mice were randomly divided into two groups.One group received neural stem cells transplantation, that was NSC group, another mice received an equal quantity 0.01 mol/L PBS, as positive control group. After 5 weeks transplantation, the total number of Aβ plaques examined by immunohistochemistry, the ratio of compact of Aβ plaques by TS staining, and whether NSCs migrate into Aβ plaques by immunofluorescence monitoring.

Results: There was no difference in total number of Aβ plaques between NSC group (181 ± 12) and PBS (179 ± 14) group after transplantation (P > 0.05). There was no difference in the number of TS+ plaques between NSC group (54.9%) and PBS (55.7%) group after eight weeks NSCs transplantation (P > 0.05). (2) However, engrafted NSCs showed partial chemotaxis toward Aβ plaques.

Conclusion: NSCs transplantation did not have a significant impact on Aβ plaques of AD mice, but the tropism of engrafted NSCs may be capable of replacing lost or damaged cells and reverse the course of AD mice in some extent.