EAAT2–cell-based glutamate-grabbing therapy in ischemic rat models. (A) Effect of the different treatments on blood glutamate concentration at different time-points in ischemic animals. Data are shown as % ± SD relative to the basal levels (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with the control group at the same time-point; n = 6/group). The dashed line represents the 100% value of basal glutamate levels. (B) Representative MRI of each experimental group at different time-points. ADC maps were determined during ischemia induction and T2-weighted imaging at 1, 7, and 14 days. ADC maps were used to determine the basal ischemic lesion before treatment administration. (C) Effect of the different treatments on infarct size at different time-points in ischemic animals. Data are shown as % ± SD relative to the ischemic hemisphere (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared with the control group at the same time-point; n = 6/group). The dashed line represents the infarct volume at 14 days after surgery of the control group (vehicle). (D) Functional analysis determined by the cylinder test at different time-points in ischemic animals. Data are shown as % ± SD compared with the basal group (vehicle) at the same time-point (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01; n = 6/group). The dashed line represents the functional deficit of the control group (vehicle) at 14 days after stroke. Non-transfected MSCs (MSCs−), transfected MSCs (MSCs+), non-transfected HEK cells (HEK−), transfected HEK cells (HEK+), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), oxaloacetate (Oxal). (E) Histological analysis of neurons (NeuN, red), astrocytes (GFAP, green), and nuclei (Hoechst, blue) of animals from each experimental group at 14 days after ischemic lesion in the cortical region. (F) Quantification of GFAP-positive cells/mm2 and (G) NeuN-positive cells/mm2 in the cortical ischemic region. Magnification (400×). Scale bar, 50 μm. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 3/group). Non-transfected MSCs (MSCs−), transfected MSCs (MSCs+), non-transfected HEK cells (HEK−), transfected HEK cells (HEK+), oxaloacetate (Oxal), neurons (NeuN), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).