Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell Therapy Led to Alveolar-Capillary Membrane Repair, Improving Lung Mechanics in Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury

• Main Authors: Luiz Felipe M. Prota, Roberta M. Lassance, Tatiana Maron-Gutierrez, Raquel C. Castiglione, Cristiane Souza Baez Garcia, Maria Cristina Ebole Santana, Jackson Souza-Menezes, Soraia C. Abreu, Vivian Samoto, Marcelo Felipe Santiago, Vera Luiza Capelozzi, Christina Maeda Takiya, Patricia R. M. Rocco, Marcelo M. Morales
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2010-08-01
• Series: Cell Transplantation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3727/096368910X506845
• ISSN: 0963-6897; 1555-3892

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMDMC) therapy led an improvement in lung mechanics and histology in endotoxin-induced lung injury. Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups ( n = 6 each). In the acute lung injur;y (ALI) group, Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was instilled intratracheally (40 μg, IT), and control (C) mice received saline (0.05 ml, IT). One hour after the administration of saline or LPS, BMDMC (2 × 10 7 cells) was intravenously injected. At day 28, animals were anesthetized and lung mechanics [static elastance ( E st ), resistive (Δ P 1 ), and viscoelastic (Δ P 2 ) pressures] and histology (light and electron microscopy) were analyzed. Immunogold electron microscopy was used to evaluate if multinucleate cells were type II epithelial cells. BMDMC therapy prevented endotoxin-induced lung inflammation, alveolar collapse, and interstitial edema. In addition, BMDMC administration led to epithelial and endothelial repair with multinucleated type II pneumocytes. These histological changes yielded a reduction in lung E st , Δ P 1 , and Δ P 2 compared to ALI. In the present experimental ALI model, the administration of BMDMC yielded a reduction in the inflammatory process and a repair of epithelium and endothelium, reducing the amount of alveolar collapse, thus leading to an improvement in lung mechanics.