Data of MSCs combined with LITUS treatment to improve cognitive impairment in a moderate traumatic brain injury model in rats

Here, we treated moderately traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats with different modalities, including transplantation with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), treatment with low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (LITUS), and a combination of the two. After the TBI rat model was established, MSCs (in situ injection within 24 h after injury), LITUS (continuous uninterrupted treatment for 28 days) or combined MSCs + LITUS were administered, and mNSS score, performance of behavior and multiple protein levels were compared between groups by behavioral observation, neurological function assessment and pathological analysis. Nestin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and postsynaptic density protein (PSD-95) were significantly increased and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was significantly decreased in the hippocampus of rats in the combination treatment group; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) were significantly decreased in the injured peripheral cortex. The result of mNSS scores was: TBI group > LITUS group > MSCs group > MSCs+LITUS group > sham group. The alternate correct rate of Y-maze was: sham group > MSCs+LITUS group > MSCs group > LITUS group > TBI group. This data compares the efficacy of MSCs, LITUS, and combination therapy on the level expression of stem cell differentiation related proteins, synaptic plasticity-related proteins, neurotrophic factors, inflammatory factors, and edema-related proteins after TBI by quantitative pathological examination. For a complete description, interpretation, and discussion of the data refer to the article in press [1].