title: [Effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on retinal cell apoptosis in premature rats with retinopathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation on retinal cells apoptosis and changes to neurotrophin-3 (NT-3 and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in rats with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control (CON), ROP, BMSC transplantation (BMSCs were transplanted 5 days after oxygen conditioning) and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) groups. The ROP model was prepared according to the classic hyperoxygen method. Seven days after transplantation, TUNEL/DAPI, NT-3/API and CNTF/DAPI double-labeled immunofluorescence were used to examine the effects of BMSC transplantation on both the apoptosis of retinal cells and the expression of NT-3 and CNTF protein in the retinal cells of the ROP rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven days after BMSC transplantation, there were few TUNEL+ DAPI+ cells observed in the CON group. There were fewer TUNEL+DAPI+ cells observed in the BMSC group than in the ROP group (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the ROP and PBS groups (P>0.05). There were few NT-3+DAPI+ cells and CNTF+DAPI+ cells in the CON group. There were more NT-3+DAPI+ and CNTF+DAPI+ cells in the ROP group than in the CON group, but there was no significant difference between the ROP and CON groups (P>0.05). More NT-3+DAPI+ and CNTF+DAPI+ cells were observed in the BMSC group compared with the ROP group (P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in either NT-3+DAPI+ or CNTF+DAPI+ cells between the ROP and PBS groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMSC transplantation therapy could alleviate the apoptosis of retinal cells in ROP rats, and its mechanisms might be associated with promoting the expression of NT-3 and CNTF protein in retinal cells.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Song
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Kan-Xing
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Xi
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing-Jie
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Mu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D020933:Neurotrophin 3