Effect and mechanism of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for type 2 diabetic rats

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as a possible ideal cell type for the treatment of type 2 diabetes due to their potential for multidirectional differentiation or immunomodulatory properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate if stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) could treat type 2 diabetic rats, and to explore the possible mechanism of the therapy.
Method：SD rats were induced into type 2 diabetes models and received stem cell therapy or hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Before and after treatment, rats body weight, blood glucose and serum insulin of OGTT, blood lipid, pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, and 24-hour urinary protein, were measured and compared. After 6 weeks rats were sacrificed, pathological HE staining, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent staining of insulin and glucagon of the organs, and the apoptosis and proliferation staining of islet cells were performed. Structural changes of the islets were observed under electron microscope. The expression levels of Pdx1, Ngn3 and Pax4 mRNA in the pancreas were assessed by qRT-PCR.