title: Proteomic analysis of the immunosuppressive effects of mesenchymal stem cells in a rat heart transplantation model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some reports suggest mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunosuppressive properties. However, conflicting evidence regarding the role of MSCs has emerged.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To gain a better understanding of the immunosuppressive properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in a rat heart transplantation model.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSCs were obtained from the femoral and tibial bone marrow of Sprague-Dawley rats and cultured. Heart-transplanted rats were allocated into a MSC-treated group and 2 control groups. On postoperative day 7, 1 rat was sacrificed and the pathological changes of heart tissues were assessed. Serum proteomic spectra were generated by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rat MSCs displayed the typical spindle-shaped morphology in culture and significantly prolonged the graft survival up to 33.25 ± 2.54 days compared with controls (19.75 ± 1.56 and 11.16 ± 1.34 days, respectively). Pathological analysis showed the inflammatory cell infiltration in the MSC-treated group was significantly reduced. SELDI analysis showed that 5 protein/peptide peaks with M/Z 1272.33, 1986.65, 2323.42, 5375.59 and 12968.11 were up-regulated in the MSC-treated group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Donor-derived MSCs clearly alleviate acute rejection following heart transplantation in rats and significantly prolong the isograft survival time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Shuo-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Xiong
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui-Zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Duo-Guang
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhi-Juan
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins