Mesenchymal stem cells reduce inflammation in a rat model of obstructive sleep apnea

The aim was to test the hypothesis that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) could reduce the inflammation induced by recurrent airway occlusions in an animal model of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A nasal mask was applied to 30 anesthetized rats. Twenty rats were subjected to a pattern of recurrent obstructive apneas mimicking OSA (60/h, lasting 15 s each) for 5 h. MSC (5 x 10(6) cells) were intravenously injected into 10 of these rats. Ten rats not subjected to apneas or MSC injection were used as controls. The rat blood serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 beta were measured by ELISA. IL-1 beta was significantly greater in the rats subjected to recurrent apneas (66.7 +/- 41.2 pg/mL; m +/- SEM) than in controls (1.9 +/- 1.0 pg/mL; p < 0.05). In the group of apneic rats subjected to MSC injection, IL-1 beta was significantly reduced (6.1 +/- 3.8 pg/mL; p < 0.05). In conclusion, MSC triggered an early anti-inflammatory response in rats subjected to recurrent obstructive apneas, suggesting that these stem cells could play a role in the physiological response to counterbalance inflammation in USA. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.