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Updated: Feb 16, 2026
Isolation and Cultivation of Mandibular Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rats
Published on: August 25, 2020
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate parotid injury in ovariectomized rats
Manal R Abd El-Haleem1, Assmaa O Selim1, Ghalia M Attia2
1Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
Background Aims:
Parotid hypofunction causes life-disrupting effects, and there are no effective medications for xerostomia. We hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have repairing effects on parotid glands of ovariectomized (OVX) rats.
Methods:
Forty-five adult female rats were divided into three equal groups: group I (Control group), group II (OVX-group) and group III (OVX rats that received MSCs at 4 and 8 weeks post-ovariectomy). At 12 weeks post-ovariectomy, histological (Masson's trichrome and periodic acid-Schiff with alcian blue stains), immunohistochemical (caspase-3 and CD44) and morphometric studies and salivary flow rate and saliva pH determination were carried out.
Results:
Histologically, the OVX group displayed numerous irregular vacuolated acini, thickened septa with marked cellular infiltration and vascular congestion. Degenerated organelles and few or irregular secretory granules with a different density were observed. Caspase-3-positive cells were highly expressed. MSC-treated glands exhibited a considerable degree of preservation of glandular architecture with numerous CD44-expressing and few caspase-3-expressing cells. Significant decrease of the salivary flow rate in the OVX group was detected, which reverted to normal levels in group III.
Conclusions:
MSCs ameliorated the damaging effects of ovariectomy on the parotid glands.
