Klin Padiatr 2012; 224 - A18
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1330787

Intrapulmonary delivery of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells attenuates acute lung injury by expanding CD4+CD25+forkhead boxp3 (FOXP3)+regulatory T cells and balancing anti- and pro-inflammatory factors

R Wu 4, J Sun 1, 3, 5, ZC Han 1, 2, 3
  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beng Bu Third Hospital, Beng Bu 233000,China, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union of Medical College Tsinghua university, China
  • 2National Engineering Research Center of Cell Products, AmCellGene Co. Ltd, Tianjin, China
  • 3TEDA Life and Technology Research Center, Institute of Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, TEDA, Tianjin, China
  • 4Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital of HuaiAn, China
  • 5Department of Respiratory Medicine, the Third Hospital of BengBu Clinical College, Dong Nan University, BengBu, 233000, China

Background: Systemic and local inflammatory processes have a key, mainly detrimental role in the pathophysiology of acute lung injury (ALI). The present study was designed to determine whether human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC) are able to act on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and lead to an improvement in ALI.

Methods: Mice were administered intratracheally endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and received intrapulmonary 1×106 UCMSC 4 hours after challenge. The CD4+CD25+ Foxp3+Treg, survival time, body weight, histology and lung injury scores were assessed after transplantation of UCMSC. In addition, anti-inflammatory factor IL10 and pro-inflammatory mediators production including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inflammatory protein-2(MIP-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected.

Results: Transplantation of UCMSC resulted in significant increase in the level of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg in ALI. Increased level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 and reduced levels of TNF-α, MIP-2 and IFN-γ were simultaneously observed in ALI in comparison with control mice.

Conclusion: Our data demonstrate for the first time that transplantation of UCMSC ameliorates ALI by enhancing the diminished levels of alveolar CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg and balancing anti- and pro-inflammatory factors in ALI mice.

Keywords: UC-MSC, CD4+CD25+ Foxp3+Treg, acute lung injury, LPS