Monitoring IL-13 expression in relation to miRNA-155 and miRNA-133 changes following intra-tracheal administration of mesenchymal stem cells and conditioned media in ovalbumin-sensitized rats

Abstract

The overall goal of the current study was to show possibly mechanisms by which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or conditioned media (CM) exert immune-modulatory properties for amelioration of asthmatic changes. Male rats were classified into healthy (C) and ovalbumin-sensitized groups (S), which further were divided into three subgroups (n=6); rats given intratracheally PBS (CPT and SPT groups), CM (CST and SST groups) and MSCs (CCT and SCT groups). Two weeks post treatment, IL-13, miRNA-133 and miRNA-155 transcripts, pathological injuries and the homing of MSCs into the lung parenchyma were evaluated. The local administration of CM and notably MSCs blunted the expression levels of miRNA-133, miRNA-155, IL-13 and all pathological changes in pulmonary specimens of the sensitized rats compared to the SPT group (p<0.001 to p<0.05). Successful mesenchymal stem cells transmigration to lung tissue in cell-administrated rats was also shown, although the intensity of asthmatic changes profoundly affected the amount of recruited cells. In summary, our results indicate the potency of CM and especially MSCs in ameliorating pathological changes in rats presumably by regulating miRNAs expression in lung tissue.