Allograft of Sertoli Cell Transplantation in Combination with Memantine Alleviates Ischemia-Induced Tissue Damages in An Animal Model of Rat

OBJECTIVE: Brain ischemia is the most common disease in the world caused by the disruption of the blood supply of brain tissue. Cell therapy is one of the new and effective strategies used for the prevention of brain damages. Sertoli cells (SCs) can hide from the host immune system and secrete trophic factors. So, these cells have attracted the attention of researchers as a therapeutic option for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Also, memantine, as a reducer of glutamate and intracellular calcium, is a suitable candidate for the treatment of cerebral ischemia. The principal target of this research was to examine the effect of SC transplantation along with memantine on ischemic injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental research, male rats were classified into five groups: sham, control, SC transplant recipient, memantine-treated, and SCs- and memantine-treated groups. SCs were taken from another rat tissue and injected into the right striatum region. A week after stereotaxic surgery and SCs transplantation, memantine was injected. Administered doses were 1 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg at a 12-hour interval. One hour after the final injection, the surgical procedures for the induction of cerebral ischemia were performed. After 24 hours, some regions of the brain including the cortex, striatum, and Piriform cortex-amygdala (Pir-Amy) were isolated for the evaluation of neurological deficits, infarction volume, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and cerebral edema. RESULTS: This study shows that a combination of SCs and memantine caused a significant decrease in neurological defects, infarction volume, the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and edema in comparison with the control group. CONCLUSION: Probably, memantine and SCs transplantation reduce the damage of cerebral ischemia, through the secretion of growth factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant factors.