Mesenchymal stem cells therapy for radiation-induced bowel injury

In this research, we aimed to assess the therapeutic effects of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on radiation-induced bowel injury using Sprague-Dawley rats. We observed that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells could promote the proliferation of cells within crypts and increase the number of Bmi1-postive intestinal stem cells through triggering high expressions of EGF and KGF by the host.Besides,the results also showed that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells could promote neovascularization in the damaged intestine by triggering the mobilization of CD31-positve hemapoietic stem/progenitor cells with up-regulated expressions of VEGF, HGF and SDF-1 by the host.Additionally,after delivery of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, the percentages of CD4/CD25/Foxp(3) triple-positive regulatory T cells increased in both thymus and peripheral blood, which resulted in a high serum level of IL-10, facilitating inflammation in injured intestine.Collectively, adpose-derived mesenchymal stem cells have the healing roles on radiation-induced bowel injury,representing by the restored integrity of epithelium and endothelium, and mitigated inflammation in irradiated host.