title: The role of bone marrow-derived adult stem cells in a transgenic mouse model of allergic asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthmatic airway remodeling is an abnormal injury/repair process of the small airways caused by chronic inflammation in which the quantities of multiple cells increase dramatically. However, the origin of these proliferative cells is still undetermined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine whether bone marrow (BM)-derived adult stem cells are responsible for the proliferative cells in asthmatic airway remodeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult mice were durably engrafted with BM isolated from green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. Using GFP BM chimera mice, an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced chronic asthma mouse model was established. The distribution of BM-derived GFP+ cells in the lungs of chronic asthma mice was detected by fluorescence microscopy. The phenotype of BM-derived GFP+ cells in the lung tissues of chronic asthma mice was analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BM chimera mice were successfully generated, with no detectable radioactive inflammation observed. Using BM chimera mice, we established a mouse model of chronic asthma characterized by a significant increase in the thickness of the airway subepithelial basement membrane and smooth muscle layers. OVA treatment caused many GFP+ cells to appear at sites of small airway inflammation. The extravascular localization of some GFP+ cells and their morphology were not consistent with leukocytes. Flow cytometric analysis of lung cells revealed a significant increase in type I collagen (Col I)+GFP+ cells and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)+GFP+ cells in OVA-treated GFP BM chimera mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considerable numbers of Col I- and α-SMA-producing cells originated from BM in the lung tissues of mice with OVA-induced chronic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Ou-Yang
authors.forename: Xin-Peng
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ti
authors.forename: Chang-Gui
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic