Cell Therapy Decreases Inflammation and Improves the Morphology of the Lung Parenchyma in a Murine Model of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema

Nathalia Longhini-dos-Santos, Valter Abraao Barbosa-de-Oliveira, Talita Stessuk, Marna Eliana Sakalem, Joao Tadeu Ribeiro-Paes

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by a limitation of gas exchange, associated with an enhanced pulmonary inflammatory response to noxious particles and gases. The pulmonary emphysema, within the spectrum of COPD, is characterized by destruction of alveolar walls with consequent progressive dyspnea. To the present day, there is no effective clinical treatment for COPD, and the available therapeutic approaches are only palliative. In this context, the aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of cell therapy with a pool of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) and bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSC) in an experimental model of cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in mice. To induce pulmonary emphysema, female mice (n=60) of the strain C57BL/6 (treated animals) were exposed to cigarette smoke, 3 times a day for 90 consecutive and uninterrupted days. Another group of animals (control, n=15) was exposed only to ambient air. Treated and control animals were comparatively evaluated regarding the therapeutic transplantation effects of the pool of BMMC or BMMSC from male C57BL/6-EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) donors. The results showed that cell therapy with either BMMC or BMMSC determined morphological recovery of the pulmonary parenchyma and the reduction of inflammation. No improvement in functional parameters was observed. In conclusion, cell therapy with a pool of BMMC or BMMSC promotes the morphological recovery of the lung parenchyma and reduces inflammation in the lungs of smoke-induced pulmonary emphysema in mice.

https://doi.org/10.31871/IJNTR.4.1.24