Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Inhibiting the Fibrosis and Autoimmune Development in HOCl-Induced Systemic Scleroderma Mouse Model

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Systemic scleroderma (SSc) is a rare and serious connective tissue disease, an autoimmune disease, and a rare refractory disease. In this study, preventive effect of single systemic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) transfusion on SSc was preliminarily explored. METHODS AND RESULTS: SSc mouse model was established by daily intradermal injection of Hypochlorite (HOCl). SSc mice were treated by single transfusion of UC-MSCs at 0.625×10(5), 2.5×10(5) and 1×10(6) respectively. At the 42nd day of intradermal injection of HOCl, the symptoms showed up by skin and alveolar wall thickening, lymphocytic infiltration, increased collagen in skin/lung, and the increased proportion of CD3(＋)CD4(＋)CD25(＋)FoxP3(＋) cells (a Treg subset) in spleen. After UC-MSCs transfusion, the degree of skin thickening, alveolar wall thickening and lymphocyte infiltration were decreased, the collagen sedimentation in skin/lung was decreased, and the proportion of CD3(＋)CD4(＋)CD25(＋)FoxP3(＋) cells was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: UC-MSC can achieve a preventive effect in SSc mice by fibrosis attenuation and immunoregulation.