Chen Aoying, Duan Yuhan, Zhou Shaocong, Du Fangzhou, Peng Huiyu, Zeng Dongao, Wang Jingwen, Wu Yue, Shi Shuaiguang, Li Shikai, Yu Shuang, Zhang Jingzhong
School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Apr 3;26(7):3355. doi: 10.3390/ijms26073355.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) has reached pandemic prevalence, significantly impacting global health. Accumulating evidence has highlighted a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and depression, with blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of and therapeutic approaches to both disorders. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising cell-based therapeutic strategy for DM; however, their potential to mitigate DM-associated emotional deficits remains unclear. This study investigates whether MSCs can restore BBB integrity and improve emotional deficits in a diabetic mouse model via matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9) inhibition. We used biochemical, molecular, and behavioral analyses to assess BBB function, inflammation, and emotional behavior. Our results demonstrated that diabetic conditions induce BBB dysfunction, characterized by the MMP-9-mediated degradation of tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-5 (Cldn5) and occludin (Ocln), alongside neuroinflammation and emotional impairments. Notably, MSC administration restored BBB integrity and attenuated neuroinflammation by suppressing MMP-9 activity and upregulating TJ proteins. Importantly, MSC treatment not only alleviated anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors but also enhanced glycemic control in DMmodels. These findings elucidate the mechanistic basis of MSC therapy for DM-related neuropsychiatric complications and, crucially, reveal its dual therapeutic efficacy in concurrently ameliorating both neuropsychiatric symptoms and metabolic dysfunction in DM models. This synergistic therapeutic effect provides a translational rationale for advancing MSC-based therapies into clinical applications.
糖尿病(DM)已呈大流行态势,对全球健康产生了重大影响。越来越多的证据凸显了糖尿病与抑郁症之间的双向关系,血脑屏障(BBB)破坏在这两种疾病的发病机制和治疗方法中都起着关键作用。间充质干细胞(MSCs)已成为一种有前景的糖尿病细胞治疗策略;然而,它们减轻糖尿病相关情绪缺陷的潜力仍不清楚。本研究调查了间充质干细胞是否能通过抑制基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)来恢复糖尿病小鼠模型中的血脑屏障完整性并改善情绪缺陷。我们使用生化、分子和行为分析来评估血脑屏障功能、炎症和情绪行为。我们的结果表明,糖尿病状态会导致血脑屏障功能障碍,其特征是MMP-9介导的紧密连接(TJ)蛋白claudin-5(Cldn5)和occludin(Ocln)降解,同时伴有神经炎症和情绪障碍。值得注意的是,给予间充质干细胞可通过抑制MMP-9活性和上调TJ蛋白来恢复血脑屏障完整性并减轻神经炎症。重要的是,间充质干细胞治疗不仅减轻了糖尿病模型中的焦虑样和抑郁样行为,还改善了血糖控制。这些发现阐明了间充质干细胞治疗糖尿病相关神经精神并发症的机制基础,关键的是,揭示了其在同时改善糖尿病模型中的神经精神症状和代谢功能障碍方面的双重治疗效果。这种协同治疗效果为将基于间充质干细胞的疗法推进到临床应用提供了转化依据。