title: Intratracheal transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells attenuates smoking-induced COPD in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) might play a protective role in COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intratracheal allogeneic transplantation of bone-marrow-derived EPCs would attenuate the development of smoking-induced COPD in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolated mononuclear cells from the bone marrow of C57BL/6J mice were cultured in endothelial cell growth medium-2 for 10 days, yielding EPCs. A murine model of COPD was established by passive 90-day exposure of cigarette smoke. On day 30, EPCs or phosphate-buffered saline alone was administered into the trachea. On day 90, EPCs or 30 μL phosphate-buffered saline alone was administered into the trachea, and on day 120, inflammatory cells, antioxidant activity, apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After EPC treatment, the lung function of the mice had improved compared with the untreated mice. Mean linear intercept and destructive index were reduced in the EPCs-treated group compared with the untreated group. In addition, the EPCs-treated mice exhibited less antioxidant activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with the untreated mice. Moreover, decreased activities of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TUNEL-positive cells in lung tissues were detected in EPCs-treated mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intratracheal transplantation of EPCs attenuated the development of pulmonary emphysema and lung function disorder probably by alleviating inflammatory infiltration, decelerating apoptosis, inhibiting proteolytic enzyme activity, and improving antioxidant activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The People's Hospital of Hunan Province.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Huihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Disease, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Xiangya Medical School, Central-South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chaxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010641:Phenotype; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D012906:Smoke; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; C522362:Mmp2 protein, mouse; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C501830:Mmp9 protein, mouse
keywords: COPD; cigarette smoke; endothelial progenitor cells; lung function; matrix metalloproteinase; transplantation