Neuroprotective effect of bone marrow stromal cell combination with atorvastatin in rat model of spinal cord injury

The aims of this study was to assessed the ability of a combination treatment of bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) and atorvastatin in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI) as an appropriate substitute for current SCI treatments. In the present study, the female Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n = 20) after SCI by New York University Device: SCI, sham, atorvastatin, graft BMSC and graft BMSC plus atorvastatin. Locomotion was assessed using Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) test and walking test after SCI. In addition, microvessel density (MVD) was calculated by immunohistochemistry after SCI. We also investigate the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression level by western blot after drug treatment. The results showed that BBB scores and walking test were increased in atorvastatin plus BMSC group compared to single atorvastatin and BMSC groups (P < 0.05). In addition, MVD also significantly increased in combination group compared to single treatment group. Compared to sole drug, VEGF and BDNF expression were significantly up-regulated in atorvastatin combination with BMSC group (P < 0.05). These results imply that the combined use of atorvastatin and BMSC treatment may represent a promising strategy for clinically applicable pharmacological therapy for initiation of neuroprotection after SCI.