Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (1): 90-95.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2140

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Effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for treating systemic lupus erythematosus in a tree shrew model

Ruan Guangping1, 2, 3, Yao Xiang1, 2, 3, Cai Xuemin1, 2, 3, Li Zian1, 2, 3, Pang Rongqing1, 2, 3, Pan Xinghua1, 2, 3   

  1. 1Basic Medical Laboratory of 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese PLA, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; 2Integrated Engineering Laboratory of Cell Biological Medicine of State and Regions, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; 3Transfer Medicine Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy Technology of Yunan Province, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
  • Received:2020-01-23 Revised:2020-02-13 Accepted:2020-03-11 Online:2021-01-08 Published:2020-11-19
  • Contact: Pan Xinghua, MD, Chief physician, Basic Medical Laboratory of 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese PLA, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; Integrated Engineering Laboratory of Cell Biological Medicine of State and Regions, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; Transfer Medicine Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy Technology of Yunan Province, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
  • About author:Ruan Guangping, MD, Associate chief physician, Basic Medical Laboratory of 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese PLA, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; Integrated Engineering Laboratory of Cell Biological Medicine of State and Regions, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China; Transfer Medicine Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy Technology of Yunan Province, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    the Major Science and Technology Project of Science and Technology Plan Project of Yunnan Province, No. 2018ZF007; the Yunnan Province Applied Basic Research Program Key Project, Nos. 2018FA041, 2017FA040; the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 31970515; a grant from 920th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force In-hospital Technology Plan, Nos. 2019YGB17 , 2019YGA05

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with unknown causes. To establish a tree shrew model of systemic lupus erythematosus is helpful to understand its pathogenesis and provide evidence for stem cell transplantation in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.  
OBJECTIVE: To establish a tree shrew model of systemic lupus erythematosus and to assess the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation.  
METHODS:  Tree shrews were grouped and intraperitoneally injected pristane, lipopolysaccharide, and their combination. At 3 weeks after injection, 12 tree shrew models were divided into treatment group and model control group (n=6 per group). An additional 6 models were selected as a normal control group. In the treatment group, each tree shrew was injected with 1×106 DiR-labeled umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells through caudal vein. Two weeks later, the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of tree shrews were taken for pathological sections. The sections received hematoxylin-eosin staining, kidney Masson staining and immune complex detection. Simultaneously, the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney of the three groups of tree shrews were taken for in vitro imaging.   
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed pathological changes of the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney in the model control group; and there were a lot of immune complex deposits in renal tissue in the model control group. The pathological changes in the treatment group improved, and the structure recovered to close to the normal control group. (2) In vitro imaging showed that DiR-labeled cells were mainly distributed in the lung, liver and spleen of the tree shrews in the treatment group. The fluorescence intensity of tree shrews in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group and model control group (P < 0.05). (3) Results demonstrated that intraperitoneal injection of pristane and lipopolysaccharide is the best method to induce pathological changes of systemic lupus erythematosus in tree shrews. The pathological changes after treatment with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells have improved, indicating that umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells have certain treatment effects on tree shrew models of systemic lupus erythematosus. 

Key words: stem cells, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, transplantation, systemic lupus erythematosus, tree shrew, animal model, immunity

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