Mesenchymal stem cells with p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase interference ameliorate mouse ischemic stroke

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used in the treatment of ischemic stroke. However, factors such as high glucose, oxidative stress, and aging can lead to the reduced function of donor MSCs. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is associated with various functions, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, differentiation, and paracrine secretion. This study examined the hypothesis that the downregulation of p38 MAPK expression in MSCs improves the prognosis of mice with ischemic stroke. Lentiviral vector-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was constructed to downregulate the expression level of p38 MAPK in mouse bone marrow-derived MSCs. The growth cycle, apoptosis, and senescence of MSCs after infection were examined. A mouse model of ischemic stroke was constructed. After MSC transplantation, the recovery of neurological function in the mice was evaluated. Lentivirus-mediated shRNA significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of p38 MAPK. The senescence of MSCs in the p38 MAPK downregulation group was significantly reduced, but the growth cycle and apoptosis did not significantly change. Compared with the control group, the infarct volume was reduced, and the neurological function and the axonal remodeling were improved in mice with ischemic stroke after transplantation of MSCs with downregulated p38 MAPK. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that in the p38 MAPK downregulation group, apoptotic cells were reduced, and the number of neuronal precursors and the formation of white matter myelin were increased. In conclusion, downregulation of p38 MAPK expression in MSCs improves the therapeutic effect in mice with ischemic stroke, an effect that may be related to a reduction in MSC senescence. This method is expected to improve the efficacy of MSCs in patients, especially in patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes, thus providing a basis for clinical individualized treatment for cerebral infarction.