Abstract
Purpose:
Whether transplantation of mouse adipose tissue derived stem cells (mADSC) through intraperitoneal space have a rescue effect on the retinal degeneration of mouse induced by NaIO3 was evaluated.
Methods:
For the transplantation, mASCs were stained by BrdU or PKH67. Retinal degeneration was induced by intraperitoneal injection of NaIO3 (40 mg/kg) on 8 C57BL6 mice. 3 days after the induction, mADSCs (5x105~1x105 cells/ 100 uL, 3rd passage) were transplanted on the intraperitoneal space (stem cell treatment group) and normal saline was used in the normal control group. 3~4 weeks after transplantation, 8 mice were sacrificed and enucleated. The area of photoreceptor outer and inner segment (IS/OS), outer nuclear layer, and inner nuclear layer in 200 um length of the retina located within around 500 um diameter from the disc were analyzed in the normal control group, stem cells treated group, and retinal degeneration control group. The number of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration was also evaluated in the corresponding area of the retina of both groups. Immunohistochemistry of BrdU and PKH67 were used to evaluate whether the presence of mASC in the retina. Electroretinogram (ERG) was used for functional test.
Results:
The areas of IS/OS were 3472.67±31.28 pixel2 in normal control group, 342±2.19 pixel2 in retinal degeneration group, 951.00±8.57 pixel2 in stem cells treatment group. (p<0.05) The numbers of ONL were 327.11±23.41, 28.14±19.61, 84.90±26.55. (p<0.05) The numbers of INL were 107.00±14.13, 64.90±7.09, 68.33±10.21. (p=0.21) In the mASC treated group, the area of IS/OS, ONL were significantly thicker than that of retinal degeneration group. The number of RPE bump as a marker of RPE degeneration was 5.33±2.50 in retinal degeneration group, 4.76±1.81 in stem cell treatment group. mASC had no effect on the RPE degeneration. The BrdU stained or PKH67 stained cells was not observed in the retina. Full field electroretinography showed that there was no significant difference between stem cell treatment group and retinal degeneration group in 0.0063 cds/m2 , but in 0.063 cds/m2 and 2.00 cds/m2, the b wave amplitudes increased in stem cell treatment group comparing to retinal degeneration group, significantly. (p<0.05)
Conclusions:
The mASC transplantation has rescue effect on NaIO3 induced retinal degeneration in mouse through indirect mechanism.