title: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells alleviate nasal mucosa radiation damage in a guinea pig model.
abstract: Nasal complications after radiotherapy severely affect the quality of life of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, and there is a compelling need to find novel therapies for nasal epithelial cell radiation damage. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in guinea pig model of nasal mucosa radiation damage and explored its therapeutic mechanism. Cultured hUC-MSCs were injected intravenously immediately after radiation in the nasal mucosa-radiation-damage guinea pig model. Migration of hUC-MSCs into the nasal mucosa and the potential for differentiation into nasal epithelial cells were evaluated by immunofluorescence. The therapeutic effects of hUC-MSCs were evaluated by mucus clearance time (MCT), degree of nasal mucosa edema, and the nasal mucosa cilia form and coverage ratio. Results indicate that the hUC-MSCs migrated to the nasal mucosa lamina propria and did not differentiate into nasal epithelial cells in this model. The MCT and degree of mucosal edema were improved at 1 week and 1 month after radiation, respectively, but no difference was found at 3 months and 6 months after radiation. The nasal mucosa cilia form and coverage ratio was not improved 6 months after radiation. Thus, hUC-MSCs can migrate to the nasal mucosa lamina propria and improve MCT and mucosa edema within a short time period, but these cells are unable to differentiate into nasal epithelial cells and improve nasal epithelial regeneration in the nasal mucosa radiation damage guinea pig model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Chun-Quan
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Chun-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004487:Edema / Q000628:therapy; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS; NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA; RADIATION DAMAGE; STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION