Therapeutic potential of non-adherent bone marrow-derived stem cells for acute radiation injury / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Effective treatment for severed acute radiation sickness (over 8 Gy) has not been obtained at present. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are shown to secrete hematopoietic cytokines and support hematopoietic progenitors, play an important role in cute radiation sickness. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic potential of non-adherent bone marrow-derived stem cells in the treatment of acute radiation injury induced by 8.5 Gy X-ray irradiation, as wel as the mechanisms involved. METHODS: Non-adherent marrow-derived stem cells from the long bone of fetal limbs were col ected for analyzing surface antigens, cel cycle, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential, and expressions of vascular endothelial growth factors and Annexin A2. After being exposed to 8.5 Gy total body irradiation, BALB/C mice were randomly assigned into transplantation group and control group. Mice in the transplantation group were given 3×106 CFDA-SE labeled human non-adherent bone marrow-derived stem cells, and those in the control group were given 0.3 mL normal saline. Then, the survival rate, peripheral white blood cells at different time, pathologic change and angiogenesis of the bone marrow were observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After X-ray irradiation, transplanted non-adherent mesenchymal stem cells appeared to have a homing to the site of injury. The survival rate of mice in the transplantation group was much higher than that in the control group. Compared with the control group, the white blood cells in the transplantation group decreased more slowly while recovered more rapid the nadir appeared at day 14 after transplantation while it recovered within 30 days. The bone marrow of mice in the transplantation group regenerated more actively and had more hematopoietic islands than those in the control group on day 21. In addition, bone marrow angiogenesis of the transplantation group was more obvious than that of the control group. In conclusion, human fetal non-adherent bone marrow-derived stem cells could promote bone marrow angiogenesis in a mouse model of acute radiation injury, through which they could play an important role in tissue regeneration of acute radiation injury.