Ameliorative Potential of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Versus Prednisolone in a Rat Model of Lung Fibrosis: A Histological, Immunohistochemical, and Biochemical Study

• Published in: Microscopy and microanalysis 2024-07, Vol.30 (3), p.539-551
• Main Authors: Shalaby, Amany Mohamed, Hassan, Shaimaa Mohamed Abdelfattah, Abdelnour, Hanim Magdy, Alnasser, Sulaiman Mohammed, Alorini, Mohammed, Jaber, Fatima A, Alabiad, Mohamed Ali, Abdullatif, Asmaa, Elshaer, Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelrahim, Aziz, Seham Ahmed Mohammed Abdel, Abdelghany, Eman M A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1431-9276; 1435-8115; 1435-8115
• DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae043

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease of unknown origin with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. The encouraging findings from preclinical investigations utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) indicated that they could serve as a promising therapeutic alternative for managing chronic lung conditions, such as IPF. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) versus prednisolone, the standard anti-inflammatory medication, in rats with bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis. Four groups were created: a control group, a BLM group, a prednisolone-treated group, and a BM-MSCs-treated group. To induce lung fibrosis, 5 mg/kg of BLM was administered intratracheally. BLM significantly increased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers. The disturbed lung structure was also revealed by light and transmission electron microscopic studies. Upregulation in the immune expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin, transforming growth factor beta-1, and Bax was demonstrated. Interestingly, all findings significantly regressed on treatment with prednisolone and BM-MSCs. However, treatment with BM-MSCs showed better results than with prednisolone. In conclusion, BM-MSCs could be a promising approach for managing lung fibrosis.