Bone marrow stem cells therapy alleviates vascular injury in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-obstructive sleep apnea overlap syndrome rat model

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are highly prevalent potential risk factors for systemic disease. Previous studies have reported that COPD and OSA are major independent risk factors for cardio- or cerebrovascular diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on vascular injury in a COPD-OSA overlap syndrome (OS) rat model. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham, OS model and BMSC. BMSC localization in major organs was detected via confocal laser fluorescence microscopy, and the aortic tissue pathological changes and related genes were measured using hematoxylin & eosin and Masson staining. Genes associated with vascular endothelial cell injury, including endothelin 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase, were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. Apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells was detected using TUNEL and immunofluorescence assays. The endothelial cell marker CD31 in injured vessels was analyzed via immunohistochemistry. BMSCs migrated into the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain and aorta in the OS model. The green fluorescence expression of BMSCs demonstrated the highest level in the lung, followed by the aorta. Aortic tissue had a more severe vascular injury and increased apoptosis in the model group compared with the BMSC group. Vascular endothelial cell apoptosis was decreased in the BMSC group compared with the model group. The findings suggested that BMSCs could repair vascular injury by inhibiting endothelial cell damage and apoptosis. These data provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases caused by OS with BMSCs.