Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (10): 1492-1500.doi: 10.12307/2023.270

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Therapeutic effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells modified by miR-1-5p in MRL/lpr lupus mice

Ding Lili1, Hu Mingzhi1, Wu Zhihui1, Sun Xiaolin2, Wang Yongfu1   

  1. 1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014010, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 2Central Laboratory (Key Laboratory of Autoimmunity in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014010, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2022-02-10 Accepted:2022-04-29 Online:2023-04-08 Published:2022-09-08
  • Contact: Wang Yongfu, MD, Professor, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014010, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Sun Xiaolin, MD, Inspector-in-charge, Central Laboratory (Key Laboratory of Autoimmunity in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014010, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Ding Lili, Master candidate, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014010, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860294 (to SXL); Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2019MS08055 (to SXL); Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2021MS08045 (to SXL); Science and Technology Planning Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 201802089 (to SXL); Science and Technology Planning Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2019GG052 (to WYF)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells can treat autoimmune diseases through a variety of immunomodulatory pathways, and genetic modification may improve the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells. MiR-1-5p is lowly expressed in systemic lupus erythematosus, and mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing miR-1-5p may have a therapeutic effect on systemic lupus erythematosus.  
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether miR-1-5p-modified umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells mediate the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and have a therapeutic effect on systemic lupus erythematosus MRL/lpr model mice.
METHODS:  Twenty MRL/lpr lupus mice were randomly divided into miR-1-5p transfected umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells treatment group (UC-MSCs+miR-1-5p group), miRNA negative control transfected umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells treatment group (UC-MSCs+miR-NC group), umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell treatment group (UC-MSCs group), PBS treatment group (PBS group), and MRL/lpr lupus mice untreated (control group). MRL/lpr lupus mice were treated with tail vein transplantation, once a week, 5 times. Mice were sacrificed at 1-week intervals after the end of treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue and intestinal tissue of MRL/lpr mice in each group. Western blot assay was used to detect JAK2/STAT3 pathway proteins and their phosphorylation levels and expression levels of interleukin-18 in kidney tissue of mice in each group.  
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with control group, the infiltration of inflammatory cells in liver tissue of MRL/lpr mice in UC-MSCs+miR-1-5p group, UC-MSCs+miR-NC group, and UC-MSCs group decreased significantly, and hepatocyte edema and degeneration could be seen in UC-MSCs+miR-NC group. Goblet cells in intestinal tissue of MRL/lpr mice in UC-MSCs+miR-1-5p group increased significantly, but there was no significant difference among other groups. (2) Compared with control group, the expression of p-JAK2 (Y1007+Y1008), p-STAT3 (s727) and interleukin-18 in renal tissue of lupus mice in UC-MSCs+miR-1-5p group was significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05); p-STAT3(s727) (P < 0.05) and interleukin-18 (P < 0.01) were significantly down-regulated in the kidney tissue of lupus mice in UC-MSCs group; expression level of interleukin-18 in UC-MSCs+miR-NC group was significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05); and there was no significant difference in the expression of p-STAT3 (Y705) in renal tissue of lupus mice of each group (P > 0.05). The expression of interleukin-18 in UC-MSCs group was significantly lower than that in PBS group (P < 0.05). (3) The results suggested that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells modified by miR-1-5p may alleviate liver and intestinal damage in MRL/lpr mice by inhibiting the activation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway and the expression of interleukin 18, thereby playing a certain therapeutic role in lupus mice.

Key words: miR-1-5p, umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cell, systemic lupus erythematosus, JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, interleukin-18

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