The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Cell Therapy in Renal Ischemia

Introduction: The most commonly used therapeutic targets in nephrology are the reduction of injury, the delay of progression, or renal replacement therapy. Many animal and human studies demonstrated the role of stem cells in repair and regenerations of kidney. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown to improve outcome of acute renal injury models. It is controversial whether MSCs can reduce injury following a toxic/ischemic event and delay renal failure in chronic kidney disease. We evaluated the hypothesis that the treatment with MSCs could improve renal function and attenuate injury in chronic renal failure (CRF).

Materials and methods: Sprague-Dawley female rats (8 weeks old, 182.2 ± 7.2g) were underwent modified 5/6 nephrectomy. Rats in the MSC group received an injection of MSCs (1 × 10⁶ cells) via tail vein 1 day after nephrectomy. Blood and urine samples were collected after 7 days and every month thereafter. The kidneys of rats were removed for histologic evaluation after 24-hr urine collection and blood sampling. The Y-chromosome stain using fluorescent in situ hybridization was performed to verify the presence of male MSCs in the kidney of female recipients.

Results: No significant differences in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentration were observed between MSC group and untreated CRF group. However, the weight gain and creatinine clearance in the MSC group were greater than those of the CRF group. Proteinuria in the MSC group was less after 4 months. Y chromosome was detected in the kidney of MSC group. Although no significances were observed between two groups, the histologic analysis suggests that MSCs have positive effect against glomerulosclerosis.

Conclusions: These results suggest that MSCs help preserve renal function and attenuate renal injury in CRF.