Objective:To investigate the effect of local injection with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on ischemic biliary stricture in rats and its mechanisms.
Methods:MSCs were obtained from the bone marrow of 2 to 4 week-old rats and cultured by plastic adhesion method. The extrahepatic biliary ischemia model was induced in adult rats, and then the rat models were randomly divided into transplantation group and control group. Rats in transplantation group underwent transplantation of MSCs (1×106 cells/point, a total of 8 points) by local injection around the biliary ischemic lesion and rats of control group were substituted by phosphate buffered solution (PBS) injection. Blood samples were collected from the inferior vena cava of the rats of both groups to determine the serum bilirubin 21 days after transplantation. Meanwhile, the biliary duct tissues were harvested to detect the mRNA expression of survivin and Bcl-2 by RT-PCR, and the apoptosis with TUNEL staining.
Results:The OD ratio of survivin cDNA/β-actin cDNA and Bcl-2 cDNA/β-actin cDNA of transplantation group was significantly higher than that of control group (P＜0.05), while the apoptotic index of transplatation group was significant lower than that of control group (P＜0.05). The levels of serum total and direct bilirubin of transplantation group ［(69.5±35.4) μmol/L, (52.9±32.2) μmol/L］ were significantly lower than that of control group ［(102.8±63.7) μmol/L, (82.6±55.1) μmol/L］, respectively (all P＜0.05).
Conclusions:Local injection with MSCs can upregulate the expression of survivin and Bcl-2, prevent the apoptosis of ischemic biliary epithelial cells, and thereby reduce the severity of biliary stricture after ischemia.