Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefit of intra-tracheal injection of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC) on pulmonary development combined with TO in a rabbit model for CDH.
METHODS: In time-mated pregnant does a left diaphragmatic defect was created at d23 (term = 31). At d28, previously operated fetuses were assigned to either TO and injection with 70 μL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or 1.0 × 10(6) c-Kit positive hAFSC expressing LacZ or were left untouched (CDH). Harvesting was done at d31 to obtain their lung-to-body weight ratio (LBWR), airway and vascular lung morphometry, X-gal staining and immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and surfactant protein-B (SP-B).
RESULTS: CDH-induced pulmonary hypoplasia is countered by TO + PBS, this reverses LBWR, mean terminal bronchiole density (MTBD) and medial thickness to normal. The additional injection of hAFSC decreases MTBD and results in a non-significant decrease in muscularization of intra-acinary vessels. There were no inflammatory changes and LacZ positive hAFSC were dispersed throughout the lung parenchyma 4 days after injection.
CONCLUSION: HAFSC exert an additional effect on TO leading to a decrease in MTBD, a measure of alveolar number surrounding the terminal bronchioles, without signs of toxicity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 833-840 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Prenatal Diagnosis |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding sources:PD and JR are beneficiaries of a Marie Curie Industria–Academia Partnership and Pathways grant sponsored by the European Commission
(251356). JDP is beneficiary of a fundamental clinical research grant of the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (1.801207), and JT from the ‘Klinische
Opleidings- en Onderzoeks- Raad’ of the University Hospitals Leuven. Our experimental program is supported by the Flemish Hercules foundation (large infrastructure
investments AKUL/09/033) and by the KU Leuven (OT/13/115). PDC is supported by the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Conflicts of interest: None declared
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.