Intravenously infused F3.Olig2 improves memory deficits via restoring myelination in the aged hippocampus following experimental ischemic stroke

Oligodendrocytes play a crucial role in creating the myelin sheath that is an important component in neural transmission. In an animal model of transient cerebral ischemia, application of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) has not yet been reported. In this study, the effects of F3.Olig2 transplantation on memory and cognitive dysfunction were investigated in the aged gerbil in which ischemic stroke was induced. To investigate the possible mechanisms underlying repair, changes in the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), oligodendrocyte-specific protein (OSP), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were examined. Experimental ischemic stroke was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries in aged gerbils. Gerbils (n = 31 per group) were randomly divided into three groups: (1) vehicle sham group, (2) vehicle ischemia group, and (3) F3.Olig2 ischemia group. After 1, 3, and 7 days of ischemia–reperfusion (I-R), saline or F3.Olig2 cells (1 × 10⁶ cells in 100 µl) were injected into the gerbils intravenously. The gerbils were sacrificed 10 days after I-R for identification of grafted F3.Olig2 cells, and 15 and 30 days after I-R for tissue analysis after conducting passive avoidance and novel object recognition test. Injected F3.Olig2 cells and MBP, OSP, and BDNF were detected by specific antibodies using immunohistochemistry and/or Western blots. Memory and cognition were significantly increased in the F3.Olig2 ischemia group compared with the vehicle ischemia group. In the F3.Olig2 ischemia group, the neurons were not protected from ischemic damage; however, MBP, OSP, and BDNF expressions were significantly increased. Our results show that injection of F3.Olig2 cells significantly improved impaired memory and cognition, which might be related to increased MBP expression via increasing OSP and BDNF expression in the aged gerbil hippocampus following transient cerebral ischemia.