Neuroprotective Effects of GDNF-Overexpressing Neural Stem Cells on Ischemic Stroke in Rats

Abstract

To investigate the neuroprotective effects of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-overexpressing neural stem cells (NSCs) in a rat model of ischemic stroke, this study evaluated their impact on neurological deficits, infarct volume, and inflammatory cytokine levels. Ninety healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham group, model group, NSC-vector group, and NSC-GDNF group. Except for the sham group, all other groups were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to establish the ischemic stroke model. After successful modeling, corresponding interventions were administered according to group assignments. Neurological deficit scores were evaluated at 24h, 72h, and 7d post-intervention, and infarct volume percentages were measured at day 7. Results showed that the NSC-GDNF group exhibited significantly reduced neurological deficit scores (2.16±0.57 at day 7) and markedly decreased infarct volume percentage (11.37±2.42%) compared to other groups (P<0.05). These findings demonstrate that GDNF-overexpressing NSCs significantly improve neurological function and reduce infarct volume in ischemic stroke rats, providing a reliable experimental foundation for stem cell-based targeted therapy in clinical ischemic stroke treatment.