Treatment evaluation of Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells using a chronic salpingitis model: an animal experiment

Abstract

BackgroundThe present study was conducted to evaluate new methods to repair the reproductive function of the oviduct, thereby allowing gametes to combine and grow in vivo under natural circumstances.MethodsSixty pathogen-free female New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: a wild-type group, an untreated control group, and a treatment group. Disposable sterile newborn sputum suction tubes were inserted into the urogenital tract to instill an Escherichia coli suspension into the uterine cavity to establish the chronic salpingitis model. Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) or normal saline were used to treat this infection via different methods. The therapeutic effect was assessed by evaluating morphology, inflammatory factors, proteinology, and pregnancy outcomes.ResultsOviducts of New Zealand rabbits in the untreated control group showed structural failure and abnormal supermicrostructure of epithelial cells. WJMSCs could partially repair the structure and supermicrostructure of the tubal epithelium. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the untreated control group was significantly higher than that in the wild-type group (P = 0.015). The concentration of TNF-α in the local treatment group was significantly lower than that in the untreated control group (P = 0.011). The expression of oviductal glycoprotein (OVGP) and OVGP mRNA in the wild-type group was significantly higher than those in the untreated control group (P = 0.024 and P = 0.013, respectively). The litter size of the treatment group was 2 ± 2.39 kits, which was higher than that of the untreated control group (P = 0.035).ConclusionChronic inflammation can destroy the structure of the oviduct and the supermicrostructure of epithelial cells as well as leading to infertility. WJMSC transplantation therapy in rabbits with chronic salpingitis partially restored fertility. WJMSCs also repaired the structure of the tubal epithelium subjected to chronic inflammation, decreased the level of inflammatory factors, and partially restored the secretion level of OVGP.

Effects of salpingitis simulation on the morphology and expression of inflammatory-related genes of oviduct in laying hens

“…Salpingitis model studies on other experimental animals such as rat and rabbit have been reported ( Luo et al., 2015 ; Li et al., 2017 ; Liao et al., 2019 ). The more commonly used are methods of pathogenic microorganism modeling.…”

The effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on female fertility preservation in mice

“…MSCs can also provide a variety of cytokines and chemokines, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF), for target cells through paracrine processes (Islam, et al 2016;Zhang, et al 2016). Several studies have suggested that MSCs stimulate the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which improve the function of damaged fallopian tubes by decreasing the level of inflammatory factors (Li, et al 2017;Liao, et al 2019). These secretomes have shown immense potential for the treatment of damaged endometrium by promoting endometrial proliferation and angiogenesis.…”

Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as a Novel Treatment for Female Infertility Caused by Bacterial Infections

“…In addition, it was reported that pregnancy rate increased significantly, and these effects were attributed to the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties of hUC-MSC (Liao et al, 2019). In addition, Li et al (2017) observed that WJ-MSCs restored the epithelial structure of the FT and concentration of TNF was decreased significantly in the treatment group with WJ-MSCs, and they also reported that WJ-MSCs improved the secretion of oviduct glycoprotein and fertility partially in rabbits with chronic salpingitis. Furthermore, Ebrahim et al (2018) revealed that hUC-MSC-EV alone or in combination with estrogen significantly reduced intrauterine adhesions in female rats due to decrease in inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6) and fibrotic markers (RUNX2, TGF-β, collagen-I).…”