Autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis in rat models / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,as the current latest therapy is widely used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases,however,the treatment on myasthenia gravis is still in the primary stage.OBJECTIVE:To create the model of myasthenia gravis with autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in rats and to observe clinical manifestation,attenuation rate of repetitive nerve electric stimulation action potential and titer of serum acetylcholine receptor Ab in the models.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:The randomized control animal experiment was performed at the Human Anatomy Laboratory,Medical College of Zhengzhou University between July and December 2007.MATERIALSTotally 50 female Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups,a normal group(n=10),an adjuvant control group(n=10),a stem cell transplantation group(n=15),and a model control group(n=15).METHODS:Rats in the normal group were intact.Rats in the adjuvant group were subjected to the same volume of saline and cyclophosphamide.Rats in the stem cell transplantation group were used to make experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis by intraperitoneally infusing with serum of myasthenia gravis patients.Bone marrow stem cells were mobilized by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.Autologous peripheral blood stem cells were collected and then were transplanted via tail vein injection after the pretreatment regimen of cyclophosphamide.Rats in the model control group were treated with an equal volume of peripheral blood,and with other procedures as the stem cell transplantation group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Swimming time and survival rate of rats from each group after stem cell transplantation;attenuation rate of repetitive nerve electric stimulation action potential and titer of serum acetylcholine receptor Ab were measured at 4 and 9 weeks after stem cell transplantation.RESULTS:The survival rate was higher in the stem cell transplantation group than in the model control group(P