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Published on: April 26, 2019
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Their Exosomes in the Cortex and Striatum in
Nahid Jashirenezhad1,2, Zahra Moayedfard3, Maryam Hosseini4
1The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
Introduction:
Brain injury associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has emerged as an important health concern, yet effective therapeutic strategies remain limited. Recently, Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (AD-MSCs) and their Exosomes (AD-MSCExosomes) have attracted attention as promising therapeutic approaches. This study investigated the protective effects of AD-MSCs and their exosomes on the cortex and striatum in a mouse model of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
Methods:
Male C57BL/6 mice were fed a High-Fat Diet (HFD) for eight weeks to induce NASH. During the 6th, 7th, and 8th weeks, mice received intravenous injections of either 1×10⁶ AD-MSCs or 100 μg of exosomes. The percentage of degenerating cells in the cortex and striatum was assessed, and the gene expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, and BDNF were evaluated in both brain regions.
Results:
NAFLD significantly increased the percentage of degenerating cells in the cortex and striatum. Treatment with AD-MSCs and their exosomes markedly reduced cellular degeneration in both regions. In addition, NAFLD induced overexpression of BDNF and IL-1β in the cortex, as well as BDNF and TNF-α in the striatum, while IL-10 expression in the striatum was decreased. Most therapeutic interventions effectively reversed these alterations.
Discussion:
The findings indicate that AD-MSCs and their exosomes may exert neuroprotective effects against NAFLD-associated brain injury, potentially through modulation of inflammatory pathways and reduction of neuronal degeneration in the cortex and striatum.
Conclusion:
AD-MSCs and their exosomes attenuated brain tissue degeneration and modulated inflammatory cytokine expression in the cortex and striatum, suggesting their potential as therapeutic candidates for NAFLD-related neurological complications.
