Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells promote improvement in glomerular function in rats with early diabetic...

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the main causes of end-stage renal disease. The present study investigated the effect of mononuclear cell (MC) therapy in rats subjected to diabetic nephropathy.

Male Wistar rats were divided into control (CTRL), diabetic (DM), CTRL+MC and DM+MC groups. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg, i.p.) and, 4 weeks later, 2×10(7) MCs were injected via the jugular vein.

The rats in the DM and DM+MC groups showed increased glycemia, glomerular filtration rate and glomerular tuff area versus control groups. The glomerular filtration rate and glomerular tuff area were normalized in the DM+MC group. No alterations were observed in the fractional excretion of electrolytes and proteinuria between the DM and DM+MC groups. TGF-β1 protein levels in the DM group were significantly increased versus control animals and normalized in the DM+MC group. An increase in ED1(+)/arginase I(+) macrophages and IL-10 renal expression was observed in the DM+MC group versus DM group.

Bone marrow-derived MC therapy was able to prevent glomerular alterations and TGF-β1 protein overexpression and modulated glomerular arginase I(+) macrophage infiltration in rats subjected to early diabetic nephropathy.