Effect of mesenchymal stem cells on Sjögren-like mice and the microRNA expression profiles of splenic CD4+ T cells

作者：Guangfeng Ruan, Ling Zheng, Jiashu Huang, Wanxue Huang, Bangdong Gong, Xingxing Fang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Jianping Tang · 发表于：Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine · 年份：2017 · DOI：10.3892/etm.2017.4313 · 被引用次数：20 · 研究领域：Salivary Gland Disorders and Functions、Mesenchymal stem cell research、Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) serve immuno-regulatory functions and offer a promising novel treatment for certain autoimmune diseases. The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of mice bone marrow (BM)-MSCs on mice with relatively late stage of Sjögren-like disease and the impact of BM-MSCs on the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of splenic CD4+ T cells. Female NOD/Ltj mice were randomized into two groups: The disease group (n=8) and the MSC-treated group (n=8). Female ICR mice served as the healthy control group (n=8). The MSC-treated group received an injection of MSCs when they were 26 weeks old. Water intake, blood glucose and salivary flow rate were measured and submandibular glands were resected and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to calculate the focus score. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, hepatocyte growth factor, interferon γ, IL-10, prostaglandin E2, transforming growth factor β1 and tumor necrosis factor-α in serum were measured using ELISA. The expression of miRNAs in splenic CD4+ T cells were measured using deep sequencing. The results demonstrated that treatment with BM-MSCs prevented a decline in the salivary flow rate and lymphocyte infiltration in the salivary glands of NOD mice, indicating that MSC-treatment had a therapeutic effect on NOD mice with relatively late stage of Sjögren-like disease. ELISA and deep sequencing results showed that the three groups of mice had different serum concentrations of cytokines/growth fac...