title: Obstructive apneas induce early release of mesenchymal stem cells into circulating blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether noninvasive application of recurrent airway obstructions induces early release of mesenchymal stem cells into the circulating blood in a rat model of obstructive sleep apnea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective controlled animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g).
  
  
  METHODS
  A specially designed nasal mask was applied to the anesthetized rats. Ten rats were subjected to a pattern of recurrent obstructive apneas (60 per hour, lasting 15 seconds each) for 5 hours. Ten anesthetized rats were used as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mesenchymal stem cells from the blood and bone marrow samples were isolated and cultured to count the total number of colony-forming unit fibroblasts (CFU-F) of adherent cells after 9 days in culture. The number of CFU-F from circulating blood was significantly (P = 0.02) higher in the rats subjected to recurrent obstructive apneas (5.00 +/- 1.16; mean +/- SEM) than in controls (1.70 +/- 0.72). No significant (P = 0.54) differences were observed in CFU-F from bone marrow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of a pattern of airway obstructions similar to those experienced by patients with sleep apnea induced an early mobilization of mesenchymal stem cells into circulating blood.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Biofisica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona--IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Almendros
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Acerbi
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Montserrat
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Navajas
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farré
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D010011:Osteocytes / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology