Protective effect of mesenchymal stem cells wrapped in biological membrane on acute kidney injury of mice induced by glycerol

Objective To study the protective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) wrapped in biological membrane (an acellular dermal matrix allograft) on acute kidney injury (AKI) of mice induced by glycerol. Methods Forty healthy male C57BL/6 mice (age of 8-12 weeks, weight of 20-25 g) were fed adaptively for 1 week, and they were randomly divided into four groups including: normal control group with renal capsular dissection surgery plus 0.9% NaCl solution injection (Sham+NS group, n=10), AKI model group with renal capsular dissection surgery plus glycerol injection RM(Rhabdomyolysis) group, n=10, biological membrane group with biological membrane wrapping up renal without capsule plus glycerol injection RM+BM (biological membrane) group, n=10 and MSCs wrapped in biological membrane group with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) wrapped in biological membrane packaging renal without capsule plus glycerol injection group (RM+BM+MSCs group, n=10). The general status, indexes of renal function including serum creatinine and urea nitrogen as well as renal histopathological changes of each group were observed. Results Compared with Sham+NS group, mice in RM and RM+BM group showed symptoms of depression, macroscopic haematuria and poor appetite, while the mental state, appetite and haematuria of mice in RM+BM+MSCs group were better than RM group and RM+BM group. Compared with Sham+NS group, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen of mice in RM group increased significantly(221.75±24.60)μmol/L vs (20.64±2.68) μmol/L, P< 0.01; (87.31±13.90) mmol/L vs (10.71±1.52) mmol/L, P< 0.01, while it had no statistically significant different between RM group and RM+BM group (206.68±21.75) μmol/L vs (221.75±24.60) μmol/L, P> 0.05; (87.62±11.23) mmol/L vs (87.31±13.90) mmol/L, P> 0.05, and it showed significant improvement in RM+BM+MSCs group when compared with RM group and RM+BM group (34.30±6.69) μmol/L vs (221.75±24.60) μmol/ L and (206.68±21.75) μmol/L, P< 0.01; (12.32±1.57) mmol/L vs (87.31±13.90) mmol/L and (87.62±11.23) mmol/L, P< 0.01. Visible kidney enlargement was seen in RM group and RM + BM group accompanied by swelling and degeneration in the renal tubular epithelial cells, disappearance of brush border, necrosis of part of the epithelial cells and formation of myoglobin tube in PAS staining. Compared with RM group and RM+BM group, kidney enlargement was not obvious with slightly damage in RM+BM+MSCs group. The number of tube and necrosis reduced, and discontinuous brush border was seen in PAS staining. Conclusion MSCs wrapped in biological membrane shows protective effect on acute kidney injury of mice induced by glycerol.