Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)-derived exosomes are a promising therapeutic agent for human disease, but their effects on neural stem cells (NSCs) subject to spinal cord ischaemia-reperfusion injury (SCIRI) remain unknown. Here, we examine the impact of miR-199a-5p-enriched exosomes derived from BMSCs on NSC proliferation. We establish a rat model of aortic cross-clamping to induce SCIRI in vivo and a primary NSC model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) to simulate SCIRI in vitro. CCK8, EdU, and BrdU assays are performed to evaluate the proliferation of NSCs. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is used to determine the number of surviving neurons. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale and inclined plane test (IPT) are used to evaluate hind limb motor function. DiO-labelled exosomes are efficiently internalized by NSCs and increase ectopic amounts of miR-199a-5p, which promotes the proliferation of NSCs. In contrast, exosomes derived from miR-199a-5p-depleted BMSCs exert fewer beneficial effects. MiR-199a-5p targets and negatively regulates glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and increases nuclear β-catenin and cyclin D1 levels. miR-199a-5p inhibition reduces the total number of EdU-positive NSCs after OGD/R, but the GSK-3β inhibitor CHIR-99021 reverses this effect. In vivo, intrathecal injection of BMSC-derived exosomes increases the proliferation of endogenous spinal cord NSCs after SCIRI. In addition, more proliferating NSCs are found in rats intrathecally injected with exosomes overexpressing miR-199a-5p. In summary, miR-199a-5p in BMSC-derived exosomes promotes NSC proliferation via GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling.

Da Chuanxiong Formula (DCXF) is a traditional herbal prescription used for pain management. It consists of Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CR) and Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR). Despite its long history of use, the underlying therapeutic mechanism of DCXF remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, in this study, key target genes were obtained through network pharmacology research methods and molecular docking techniques, including transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), adenosine A2a receptor (ADORA2A), nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1), and protein kinase C beta (PRKCB). Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated the favorable binding between all four key genes and their corresponding compounds. Notably, chronic constriction injury (CCI) treatment resulted in a significant decrease in mechanical threshold and thermal latency period for rat foot contraction, which was ameliorated upon administration of DCXF. Furthermore, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot (WB) analyses indicated an upregulation of TRPV1, ADORA2A, NR3C1, and PRKCB expression in the rat dorsal root ganglion following CCI, which was attenuated by treatment with DCXF. The expressions of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), in the rat dorsal root ganglion were assessed using ELISA, confirming consistent trends with the aforementioned findings. The results of this study offer a promising theoretical foundation for the utilization of DCXF in the treatment of neuropathic pain (NP).