Study the Effect of Undifferentiated Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Experimental Model of Peripheral Ischemia

Background: The adult vasculature possesses remodeling attempts to increase blood supply to better serve tissue metabolic demand. Better understanding of the mechanisms of vascular remodeling could lead to more effective treatments for these conditions.Objectives: We aimed to study the effect of human wharton jelly derived-mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on angiogenesis in a rat model of unilateral peripheral vascular disease (unilateral femoral artery ligation).Methods: The work divided into 2 parts in vitro one for cells isolation and characterization followed by second in vivo part for cells transplantation in surgical induced peripheral ischemia. Animals were grouped; control sham-operated rats (n=12), ischemia group (n=12) subjected to surgical left femoral artery ligation with no further intervention, and a third ischemic groups (n=12) subjected to surgical left femoral artery ligation followed by 24 hr transplantation with undifferentiated hMSCs (IM injection of 5x 10^6). In vitro, hMSCs was isolated from human wharton jelly. The cells characterization was assessed by morphology and by their differentiation ability. After rat scarification, muscle tissues of all studied groups were harvested for pathological assessment and for hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) genes expression using quantitative real time PCR.Results: In vitro part of the study showed successful isolation of hMSCs. hMSCs characterization was assessed morphologically in culture. Ischemic group transplanted with undifferentiated MSCs group showed an improvement in blood vessels formation, detected by high significant level of SDF-1, HIF-1α and CXCR4 genes expression and histopathological angiogenesis compared to ischemic group without further transplantation.Conclusion: MSCs transplantation in peripheral vascular diseases may improve the angiogenesis in ischemic rat model.