Effects of stem cells applications on oxidative stress and apoptosis during implantation

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) application into the rat endometrium on oxidative stress, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Methods: The female rats selected in estrous cycle were divided into three groups (saline, media and BMSC group). The intrauterine and intraperitoneal injections were performed using the saline (200 μL), culture media (200 μL) and 1×106 BMSCs/200 μL culture media, and then they were mated with male rats. On the 7th day of the pregnancy, uterine samples were harvested and dyed with heamatoxylin-eosin histochemically, anti-endothelial nitric oxide synthase and anti-inducible nitric oxide synthase, and anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemically, with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferas dUTP nick end labeling for apoptosis. The stainings were evaluated by H-score and the results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test statistically. Results: It was found that BMSCs increased the endometrial thickness, endometrial epithelium thickness and number of endometrial glands compared to control and sham groups. The intrauterine BMSC application decreased both anti-endothelial nitric oxide synthase and anti-inducible nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivities and the number of apoptotic cells compared to the intraperitoneal applications whereas the immunoreactivity of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was increased. Conclusions: In current study, we define that stem cells do not cause any structural damages. Also they change the distribution of oxidative stress and cell proliferation marker. These findings support the reliability of stem cells in clinical use in the case of infertility.

Keywords

• Mesenchymal stem cell
• Implantation
• Endometrium
• Oxidative stress
• Proliferation
• Apoptosis