title: Therapeutic effects of amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stromal cells on lung injury in rats with emphysema.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), two major pathological changes that occur are the loss of alveolar structure and airspace enlargement. To treat COPD, it is crucial to repair damaged lung tissue and regenerate the lost alveoli. Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) play a vital role in maintaining lung tissue repair, and amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AFMSCs) possess the characteristics of regular mesenchymal stromal cells. However, it remains untested whether transplantation of rat AFMSCs (rAFMSCs) might alleviate lung injury caused by emphysema by increasing the expression of surfactant protein (SP)A and SPC and inhibiting AECII apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the phenotypic characteristics, differentiation potential, and karyotype of rAFMSCs, which were isolated from pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Moreover, we examined the lung morphology and the expression levels of SPA and SPC in rats with emphysema after cigarette-smoke exposure and intratracheal lipopolysaccharide instillation and rAFMSC transplantation. The ability of rAFMSCs to differentiate was measured, and the apoptosis of AECII was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In rAFMSCs, the surface antigens CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, and CD166 were expressed, but CD14, CD19, CD34, and CD45 were not detected; rAFMSCs also strongly expressed the mRNA of octamer-binding transcription factor 4, and the cells could be induced to differentiate into adipocytes and osteocytes. Furthermore, rAFMSC treatment up-regulated the levels of SPA, SPC, and thyroid transcription factor 1 and inhibited AECII apoptosis, and rAFMSCs appeared to be capable of differentiating into AECII-like cells. Lung injury caused by emphysema was alleviated after rAFMSC treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  rAFMSCs might differentiate into AECII-like cells or induce local regeneration of the lung alveolar epithelium in vivo after transplantation and thus could be used in COPD treatment and lung regenerative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, No, 158, Shangtang Road, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, P,R, China. lidoctor03@126.com.
authors.forename: Yaqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Wulin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yingjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yingyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xujun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Houquan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004646:Emphysema / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016896:Treatment Outcome