Cell therapy in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans in a murine model

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the importance of stem cells derived from adipose tissue in reducing graft inflammation in a murine model of allogeneic heterotopic tracheal transplant.METHODS: We performed a heterotopic tracheal allografting in dorsal subcutaneous pouch and systemically injected 5x10⁵ mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue. The animals were divided into two groups according to the time of sacrifice: T7 and T21. We also carried out histological analysis and digital morphometry.RESULTS: The T7 animals treated with cell therapy had median obstructed graft area of 0 versus 0.54 of controls (p = 0.635). The treated T21 subjects had median obstructed graft area of 0.25 versus 0 in controls (p = 0.041).CONCLUSION: The systemically injected cell therapy in experimental murine model of bronchiolitis obliterans did not reduce the severity of the allograft inflammation in a statistically significant way in seven days; Conversely, in 21 days, it increased the allograft inflammatory process.