胚胎后肾间充质细胞肾包膜下移植对急性肾小管坏死的保护作用

Objective The subcapsular transplantation of metanephric mesenchymal cells (MMCs) may be a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of acute tubular necrosis (ATN). To investigate this hypothesis, we evaluated the nephroprotective effects of transplanting MMCs into the renal subcaspsule of rats with ATN induced by gentamicin. Methods MMCs were expanded in culture and immunocytochemistry was used to characterize the cells. After gentamicin-induced ATN, fluorescently-labeled cells were transplanted and traced in kidney tissues by fluorescence microscopy. Renal function was tested by serum creatinine(Cr), N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase(NAG); kidney pathology was studied by hematoxylin-eosin staining; apoptosis was examined by the TUNEL assay, and Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression were examined by immunohistochemistry respectively. Results (1) MMCs were expanded in culture and the phenotype of the cells was vimentin-positive and keratin-negative. (2) In the MMCs-treated group: the mortality rate decreased; Cr and NAG clearly decreased; In the MMCs-treated kidneys: the histopathologic lesion scores were lower; the Ki-67 antibody and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells was improved or reduced respectively; the expression of Bcl-2 protein was upregulated. Conclusions The subcapsular transplantation of MMCs could ameliorate renal function and repair kidney injury.