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Updated: May 23, 2026
Induction of Mouse Lung Injury by Endotracheal Injection of Bleomycin
Published on: April 30, 2019
Pre-treatment with mesenchymal stem cells reduces ventilator-induced lung injury
Laura Chimenti1, Tomás Luque, Maria R Bonsignore
1Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reduce acute lung injury in animals challenged by bleomycin or bacterial lipopolysaccaride. It is not known, however, whether MSCs protect from ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This study investigated whether MSCs have a potential role in preventing or modulating VILI in healthy rats subjected to high-volume ventilation. 24 Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were subjected to high-volume mechanical ventilation (25 mL·kg(-1)). MSCs (5 × 10(6)) were intravenously or intratracheally administered (n=8 each) 30 min before starting over-ventilation and eight rats were MSC-untreated. Spontaneously breathing anesthetised rats (n=8) served as controls. After 3 h of over-ventilation or control the animals were sacrificed and lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were sampled for further analysis. When compared with controls, MSC-untreated over-ventilated rats exhibited typical VILI features. Lung oedema, histological lung injury index, concentrations of total protein, interleukin-1β, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and number of neutrophils in BALF and vascular cell adhesion protein-1 in lung tissue significantly increased in over-ventilated rats. All these indices of VILI moved significantly towards normalisation in the rats treated with MSCs, whether intravenously or intratracheally. Both local and systemic pre-treatment with MSCs reduced VILI in a rat model.
Insights
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can prevent ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) in rats. Both intravenous and intratracheal MSC administration reduced VILI indicators, suggesting a protective role for MSCs in lung injury prevention.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to mitigate acute lung injury from various insults.
- The efficacy of MSCs in preventing ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of MSCs in preventing or modulating VILI in a rat model.
- To determine if MSC administration, via different routes, impacts VILI development.
Main Methods:
- Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to high-volume mechanical ventilation for 3 hours.
- Mesenchymal stem cells (5 × 10^6) were administered intravenously or intratracheally 30 minutes prior to ventilation.
- Control groups included MSC-untreated ventilated rats and spontaneously breathing rats.
Main Results:
- Ventilated rats without MSC treatment showed significant VILI indicators, including lung edema, increased inflammatory markers (IL-1β, MIP-2), protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and vascular cell adhesion protein-1 (VCAM-1).
- Both intravenous and intratracheal MSC administration significantly reduced these VILI markers, normalizing them towards control levels.
- MSC treatment demonstrated efficacy in both local (intratracheal) and systemic (intravenous) pre-treatment settings.
Conclusions:
- Mesenchymal stem cells possess a protective effect against ventilator-induced lung injury in rats.
- Both systemic and local administration of MSCs can effectively reduce VILI, highlighting their therapeutic potential.
- This study supports further investigation into MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for VILI in clinical settings.
