Background and Purpose- Hypertension is the most frequent comorbidity in stroke.The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether hypertension alters the response to treatment with adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) after an ischemic stroke in rats. Methods- Ischemic stroke was induced in male normotensive or hypertensive rats. Either vehicle or 1×106 ADMSC was intravenously administered at 48 hours poststroke. Functional outcome, lesion size and volume, and markers of brain repair (GFAP [glial fibrillary acidic protein], doublecortin, CD-31, α-smooth muscle actin) were evaluated. Results- Hypertensive rats had larger lesions, higher apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and worse functional outcomes than normotensive rats. Hypertension increased GFAP and vascular markers (CD-31 and α-smooth muscle actin). The hypertensive rats treated with ADMSC did not show any significant improvement in functional recovery, lesion size, ADC values, or histological markers compared with those which received the vehicle. Conclusions- ADMSC did not reverse the hypertension-induced increase in lesion severity or functional impairment. Gliosis, neurogenesis, or vascular markers were not affected by ADMSC in hypertensive rats. Hypertension has a negative impact on the therapeutic effect of ADMSC after an ischemic stroke.
Keywords: brain; comorbidity; hypertension; neurogenesis; stem cells.