Allogeneic umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for metabolic syndrome in a tree shrew model / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Current treatments for metabolic syndrome are comprehensive treatments with drugs, aiming to improve patient’s life. Patients are required to have a high compliance to follow-up and have developed various adverse reactions. Therefore, there is no treatment to fundamentally delay the development of metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE: To establish a tree shrew model of metabolic syndrome and evaluation techniques, and to explore the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the tree shrew model, providing theoretical basis and reference method for clinical application of stem cell transplantation in metabolic syndromes. METHODS: Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells of tree shrews were obtained by adherent culture method, and met the biological characteristics of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. The dark red fluorescent iodide DIR was used to label tree umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Thirty-two tree shrews were fed high-sugar, high-cholesterol, high-salt diet and syrup diet, and injected streptozotocin to make metabolic syndrome models. Animal models were randomly divided into model control group (n=10) and cell treatment group (n=22). In the cell treatment group, the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells labeled in vitro were injected into the tail vein, and the model group was injected an equal volume of physiological saline in the meanwhile. Blood biochemical indicators, glucose tolerance, insulin resistance index and arterial blood pressure were measured after transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The tree shrew model of metabolic syndrome was successfully constructed, showing obvious insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, lipid metabolism disorder, and hypertension, which met the diagnostic criteria of metabolic syndrome. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells transplantation could significantly reduce the blood glucose and blood lipid levels, improve insulin resistance and regulate insulin secretion in the tree shrew model of metabolic syndrome. Transplanted umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could be homing to the liver, kidney and pancreas of the tree shrew model of metabolic syndrome, and produce certain repairing effects.