Therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on tubal factor infertility using a chronic salpingitis murine model.

BACKGROUND

The study was conducted to evaluate the application of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) in the treatment of tubal factor infertility (TFI) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, and investigate their effect on fertility in animal models of chronic salpingitis.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the therapy effects of the transplantation of hUCMSCs in tubal factor infertility using a chronic salpingitis murine model which induced Chlamydia trachomatis. Twenty rats were divided into two groups: control group (n = 10) and treatment group (n = 10). hUCMSCs were given to mice after exposure to C. trachomatis for 4 weeks. After treatment for 4 weeks, five mice were randomly selected from each of the two groups to sacrifice and we examined the organ morphology and pathology, inflammatory cytokines, proliferation, and apoptosis in fallopian tube (FT).The remaining five mice from each group were caged 2:1 with male mice for another 4 weeks, the numbers of pregnant mice and the mean number of pups in the different groups were enumerated and calculated.

RESULTS

Intravaginal inoculation of hUCMSCs alleviated hydrosalpinx of the oviduct. EdU-labeled hUCMSCs are located at the interstitial site of the fallopian tube. Macrophage (F4/80) infiltration was significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with the control group and expression levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 were increased after hUCMSCs treatment. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expression levels of PCNA and Caspase-3 were increased and decreased, respectively, in the hUCMSCs' treatment group compared with the control. Moreover, hUCMSCs' transplantation improved murine fertility.

CONCLUSIONS

Anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of hUCMSCs may play an important role in TFI. Our data suggest that hUCMSCs' transplantation contributed to the repair of tubal injury and improvement of fertility, providing a basis for assessing the contribution of stem cells in the oviduct for direct repair of the tube to assist reproduction.