Mesenchymal stem cells improve the outcomes of liver recipients via regulating CD4+ T helper cytokines in rats

摘要

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) exert immunosuppressive activities in transplantation. This study aimed to determine whether BMMSCs reduce acute re-jection and improve outcomes of liver transplantation in rats. METHODS: Orthotopic liver transplantation from Lewis to Brown Norway rats was performed, which was followed by the infusion of BMMSCs through the penile superifcial dorsal vein. Normal saline infusion was used as a control. Animals were sacriifced at 0, 24, 72, or 168 hours after BMMSCs infu-sion. Liver grafts, and recipient serum and spleen tissues were obtained. Histopathology, apoptosis, serum liver enzymes, se-rum cytokines, and circulating regulatory T (Treg), Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells were assessed at each time point. RESULTS: BMMSCs signiifcantly attenuated acute rejection and improved the survival rate of allogeneic liver transplanta-tion recipients. Liver enzymes and liver apoptosis were signiif-cantly alleviated. The levels of the Th1/Th2 ratio-associated cytokines such as IL-2 and IFN-γ were signiifcantly reduced and IL-10 was signiifcantly increased. The levels of the Th17/Tregs axis-associated cytokines such as IL-6, IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α were signiifcantly reduced, whereas TGF-β concentra-tion was signiifcantly increased. Moreover, lfow cytometry analysis showed that the infusion of BMMSCs signiifcantly increased Th2 and Treg cells and decreased Th1 and Th17 cells. CONCLUSION: BMMSCs had immunomodulatory effects, at-tenuated acute rejection and improved outcomes of allogeneic liver transplantation in rats by regulating the levels of cyto-kines associated with Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios.