Protective effects of transplanted and mobilized bone marrow stem cells on mice with severe acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the protective effects of transplanted and mobilized bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) on mice with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and to probe into their possible mechanisms.


METHODS
A mouse model of SAP induced by intraperitoneal injections of L-arginine was employed in the present study. Two hundred female Balb/c mice weighing 18-22 g were randomly assigned into 4 groups. Group A was the stem cell mobilized group treated by injection of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) into mice for 4 days at a dose of 40 microg.kg(-1).d(-1) before induction of SAP. Group B was the group of BMSCs transplantation, in which the mice were given the isolated BMSCs via the tail vein 4 days prior to induction of SAP. Group C served as the model control and only SAP was induced. The mice without induction of SAP in group D acted as the normal control. At the time of animal sacrifice at 24, 48 and 72 h after induction of SAP, blood samples were obtained and prepared to detect serum amylase, while the abdominal viscera were examined both grossly and microscopically for the observation of pathological changes.


RESULTS
The mortality of mice in the model control, groups A and B was 34%, 8% and 10% respectively within 72 h after induction of SAP. The serum level of amylase in the model control was significantly increased at all time points after induction of SAP as compared with that of the normal control (P<0.05-0.01). When the mice were pretreated with BMSCs' transplantation or G-CSF injection, their serum level of amylase was significantly reduced at 48 h and 72 h after induction of SAP in comparison with that of the model control (P<0.05-0.01). In accordance with these observations, both gross and microscopic examinations revealed that the pathological changes of SAP in mice pretreated with BMSCs transplantation or G-CSF injection were considerably attenuated as compared with those in the model control at all observed time points.


CONCLUSIONS
Both transplanted allogenic and mobilized autologous BMSCs can protect mouse pancreas from severe damage in the process of SAP.
Cui
Hui-Fei
HF
Biochemical and Biotechnological Institute of Materia Medica, Pharmaceutical College of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China. cuihuifei@sdu.edu.cn
Bai
Zeng-Liang
ZL
D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000681:Amylases