title: Human amniotic fluid stem cells protect rat lungs exposed to moderate hyperoxia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains as yet an unmet clinical need and recently stem cells have been proposed as a therapeutic tool in animal models. We investigated the role of amniotic fluid stem cells (AFS) in an adult rat model of hyperoxia lung injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were, at birth, randomly exposed to moderate hyperoxia or room air for 14 days and a single dose of human amniotic fluid stem (hAFS) or human Fibroblasts (hF), cells was delivered intratracheally (P21). At P42 animals were euthanized and lung tissue examined using histology, immunohistochemistry, PCR, and ELISA. hAFS cells characterization and homing were studied by immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In rats treated with hAFS and hF cells 16S human rRNA fragment was detected. Despite a low level of pulmonary hAFS cell retention (1.43 ± 0.2% anti-human-mitochondria-positive cells), the lungs of the treated animals revealed higher secondary crest numbers and lower mean linear intercept and alveolar size, than those exposed to hyperoxia, those left untreated or treated with hF cells. Except for those treated with hAFS cells, moderate hyperoxia induced an increase in protein content of IL-6, IL-1β, as well as IF-γ and TGF-1β in lung tissues. High VEGF expression and arrangement of capillary architecture in hAFS cell group were also detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with hAFS cells has a reparative potential through active involvement of cells in alveolarization and angiogenesis. A downstream paracrine action was also taken into account, in order to understand the immunodulatory response.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Women's and Children's Health Department, University Padova Hospital, Padova, Italy; Gene Therapy Laboratory, Women's and Children's Health Department, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grisafi
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pozzobon
authors.forename: Arben
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dedja
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vanzo
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tomanin
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porzionato
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salmaso
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: Ambrogio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fassina
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Navaglia
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maran
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onisto
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caenazzo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Coppi
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Caro
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiandetti
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zaramella
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D018496:Hyperoxia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells
keywords: hAFS cells; hyperoxia; lung repair; transplantation