Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Diabetes and Diabetic Renal Fibrosis by Modulating the Inflammatory...

This study aims to explore the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in treating diabetic nephropathy (DN) by investigating their effect on IL-11 modulation in a mouse model.

The effects of MSC therapy on DN were examined both in vivo and in vitro. Sixty adult male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes (T1D) and the high-fat diet diabetes (T2D) models, with both groups receiving MSC treatment or saline for 4 or 8 weeks. Blood glucose, serum urea, interleukin-11 (IL-11), and kidney fibrosis markers were measured. Additionally, western blotting was used to assess levels of Type I and III collagen, E-Cadherin, α- smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Vimentin, and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP-1).

MSC-treated T1D and T2D mice showed reduced blood glucose, serum urea, IL-11, TGF-β, and fibrosis markers (type I and III collagen, α-SMA, Vimentin, FSP-1), alongside increased E-Cadherin expression. Similar effects were observed in vitro using mouse glomerular epithelial cells, confirming MSC-mediated suppression of fibrosis pathways.

MSC therapy improves nephropathy, likely by inhibiting IL-11 and reducing fibrosis- related markers, making it a promising treatment for DN.