Renal-targeted homing of implanted EPCs using decellularized kidney scaffold

Abstract

Objective To investigate the feasibility of renal-targeted homing of implanted EPCs using decellularized kidney scaffold,an appropriate acellular matrix was explored to provide theoretical foundation for the application of decellularized scaffold materials for cell transplantation therapy. Methods From September, 2014 to April, 2015, bone marrow derived mononu-clear cells were isolated with percoll density gradient centrifugation and induced in vitro. The rat kidney were acellularized by use of perfusion. Pro-transplantation, EPCs were culture in vivo and labeled with CM-Dil. To trace the distribution and evaluate the difference of homing ability of labeled EPCs, rats received left heminephrectomy and sutured with decellularized kidney scaffold were regarded as scaffold group. And the control group included those had a left heminephrectomy operation without a scaffold. Results Bone marrow mononuclear cells cultured in vitro about 10 d were performed with immunofluorescence staining, cells were observed take in Dil-acLDL and FITC-UEA-I, identified as EPCs, and these cells can be labeled with CD-Dil. After HE staining, the decellularized kidney scaffold was compared with the normal: nucleus disappear, the extracellular continuous, the average content of 4.9 ± 0.57 mg/kg. The labeled EPCs were founded in left remnant kidney, scaffold, and spleen. Cells in the injuried kidney of scaffold group (28.8±3.5) were much more than the other group (1.2±0.8)(P<0.05). Conclusion Implantation of EPCs by intravenous using decellularized kidney scaffold obviously augment the homing ability of EPCs to the injuried kidney, which suggest a new strategy for stem/progenitor cells of tissue and organ regeneration. Key words: Decellularized scaffold; Endothelial progenitor cells; Homing; Kidney