[The effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on interstitial pneumonitis in MRL/lpr mice].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSCs) transplantation on interstitial pneumonitis in MRL/lpr mice.


METHODS
Twenty four 18-week-old MRL/lpr female mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: the single dose group received a single dose of UC-MSCs (1 x 10(6)) transfusion intravenously, the 3 dose group received 3 injections of UC-MSCs (1 x 10(6)) weekly for 3 weeks, and the control mice were treated with saline. Both the control and the treated mice were sacrificed at 29 weeks. The histopathology of the lungs were assessed by HE staining.


RESULTS
In comparison to the control mice, UC-MSCs transplantation significantly attenuated interstitial pneumonitis in the MRL/lpr mice. The peribronchiolar lesion indices of the single dose treatment group (1.40 +/- 0.24) and the 3 dose treatment group (1.02 +/- 0.29) were significantly decreased as compared to the control group (1.95 +/- 0.35), q = 0.551, 0.937, all P < 0.01. The perivascular lesion index of the single dose treatment group (1.20 +/- 0.18) and the 3 dose treatment group (1.08 +/- 0.16) were also significantly reduced as compared to the control group (1.56 +/- 0.32), q = 0.360, 0.479, P < 0.05, P < 0.01. The inflammatory cell infiltration index of the control group (1.72 +/- 0.34) was significantly increased compared to the single dose treatment group (1.30 +/- 0.21) and the 3 dose treatment group (1.05 +/- 0.15), q = 0.417, 0.673, P < 0.05, P < 0.01.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that UC-MSCs have a pleiotropic therapeutic effect on pneumonitis in MRL/lpr mice.
Gu
Zhi-Feng
ZF
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
Jin
Ou-Yang
OY
Xu
Ting
T
Ma
Xiao-Lei
XL
Zhao
Sheng-Nan
SN
Cao
Xiao-Lei
XL
Sun
Ling-Yun
LY
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology