Anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of intravenous adipose-derived stem cell transplantation in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced interstitial pneumonia

Adipose-derived stem cells (AdSCs) have recently been considered a useful treatment tool for autoimmune disease because of their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. We investigated the therapeutic effect of intravenous AdSC transplantation in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced lung injury. AdSCs accumulated in the pulmonary interstitium and inhibited both inflammation and fibrosis in the lung, markedly improving the survival rate of mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury in a cell number-dependent manner. AdSCs inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-12 in activated macrophages, and AdSCs also induced the apoptosis of activated macrophages. AdSCs inhibited the differentiation and proliferation of Th2-type mCD4+ T cells but promoted the differentiation and proliferation of regulatory T cells, suggesting that the phenotypic conversion of T cells may be one of the mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory effect of AdSCs on pulmonary fibrosis. These findings suggest that intravenous AdSCs could be a promising treatment for patients with interstitial pneumonia.