Effect of lawsone preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells on the
regeneration of pancreatic beta cells in type 1 diabetic rats
Abstract
Background: Diabetes is one of the major health issues globally. T1DM
develops due to the destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Mesenchymal
stem cells having remarkable self-renewal and differentiation potential,
can regenerate beta cells. MSCs preconditioned with bioactive small
molecules possess enhanced biological features and therapeutic potential
under in vivo environment. Interestingly, compounds of naphthoquinone
class possess anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory properties, and can be
explored as potential candidates for preconditioning MSCs. Aim: This
study analyzed the effect of lawsone preconditioned human umbilical cord
MSCs (hUMSCs) on the regeneration of β-cells in the STZ-induced type 1
diabetic rats. Methods: hUMSCs were isolated and characterized for the
presence of surface markers. MSCs were preconditioned with optimized
concentration of lawsone. T1D rat model was established by injecting 50
mg/kg of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. Untreated and lawsone
preconditioned MSCs were transplanted into the diabetic rats via tail
vein. Fasting blood sugar and body weight were monitored regularly for 4
weeks. Pancreas was harvested and beta cell regeneration was evaluated
by H&E staining and gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry was
also done to assess the insulin protein expression. Results: Lawsone
preconditioned MSCs showed better anti-hyperglycemic effect, compared to
untreated MSCs. Histological analysis presented the regeneration of
islets of Langerhans with higher expression of β-cell genes and reduced
expression of inflammatory markers. Immunohistochemistry revealed
intense insulin expression in the preconditioned compared to the
untreated MSCs. Conclusion: It is concluded from the present study that
lawsone preconditioned MSCs were able to exhibit pronounced
anti-hyperglycemic effect in vivo compared to MSCs alone.