Therapeutic effects of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells against brain death-induced remote organ damage and post-heart transplant acute rejection

We tested the hypothesis that allogenic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) alleviated brain death (BD)-induced remote organ damage and events of post heart-transplant acute rejection. To determine the impact of BD on remote organ damage, adult-male F344 rats (n=24) were categorized sham-control (SC), BD and BD(MSC) (allogenic ADMSC/1.2 × 10(6) cells/derived from F344 by intravenous transfusion 3 h after BD procedure). To determine the protective effect of allogenic ADMSCs, animals (n=8/each group in F344/Lewis) were categorized into groups BD-T(F344 heart transplanted into Lewis by 6h after BD), BD-T(MSC(D1/3)) (BD induction for 6h then heart transplantation, and allogenic ADMSCs transfusion at days 1 and 5 after heart transplantation), BD-T(MSC(3h)) (BD + ADMSC/1.2 × 10(6) cells at 3h and heart transplantation at 6h after BD) and BD-T(MSC(3h, D1/3)) [BD + ADMSC/1.2 × 10(6) cells at 3h and heart transplantation at 6h after BD, then ADMSC therapy by days 1/3]. At day 5 post procedure, liver, kidney and heart specimens showed higher molecular-cellular levels of inflammation, immune reaction, apoptosis and fibrosis in BD than in SC that were reversed in BD(MSC) (all P < 0.0001). These molecular-cellular expressions and circulating/splenic levels of innate/adoptive immune cells were higher in BD-T, lowest in BD-T(MSC(3h, D1/3)) and higher BD-T(MSC(3h)) in than BD-T(MSC(D1/3)), whereas heart function showed an opposite pattern among the four groups (all P < 0.001). In conclusion, ADMSCs suppressed BD-caused remote organ damage and heart-transplant rejection.