Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduce Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injuries in Rats

Background. Adult stem cells are promising novel therapies in regenerative medicine. We investigated effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on intestinal mucosal permeability impaired by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Methods. We used a common I/R model in rats to induce intestinal injury by clamping and unclamping the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in female Sprague-Dawley rats. MSCs were directly injected into the small intestinal submucosa of the syngenic female rats. Control group were injected with the same volume of 0.9% sodium chloride. Small intestine samples were examined for the engraftment of donor-derived mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) by Y chromosome in situ hybridization analysis. The small intestinal permeability and histomorphologic alternations were measured to evaluate the therapeutic effect of MSCs transplantation. Results. Small intestinal permeability and villi injuries were significantly reduced in the MSCs administrated group compared with control group. MSCs administration accelerated the recovery of the intestinal barrier dysfunction. Conclusion. We concluded that submucosal infusion of MSCs might exert protective effects on the integrity of intestinal barrier. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.