Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Rat Study


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Tayman C., Uckan D., Kilic E., Ulus A. T., Tonbul A., HIRFANOĞLU İ. M., ...More

PEDIATRIC RESEARCH, vol.70, no.5, pp.489-494, 2011 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 70 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2011
  • Doi Number: 10.1203/pdr.0b013e31822d7ef2
  • Journal Name: PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.489-494
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

We evaluated the potential therapeutic use of exogenous human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in an experimental rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Thirty-six newborn Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: NEC, NEC + hBM-MSC, and a control (control and control + hBM-MSC). NEC was induced by enteral formula feeding, exposure to hypoxia hyperoxia, and cold stress. After NEC was induced, iron-labeled hBM-MSCs were administered by intraperitoneal injection. All pups were killed on the fourth day following injection, and the terminal ileum was excised for a histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation. The pups in the NEC + hBM-MSC group showed significant weight gains and improvements in their clinical sickness scores (p < 0.01). Bowel damage severity observed in the histopathological evaluation was significantly lower in the NEC + hBM-MSC group than that in the NEC group (p = 0.012). The number of MSCs homing to the bowel was significantly higher in the NEC + hBM-MSC group than that in the control + hBM-MSC group. In conclusion, this is the first study that has evaluated the effectiveness of hBM-MSCs in a neonatal rat NEC model. MSCs reduced histopathological damage significantly. (Pediatr Res 70: 489-494, 2011)