The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Reactivity of Smooth Muscle Cells of Pial Arteries in Nephrectomized Rats

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the deterioration of the contractile function of smooth muscle cells in pial arteries after subtotal nephrectomy, as well as the possibility of restoring this function by transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells. A self-designed visualizing device for studying microcirculation (160× magnification) was used to study the reactivity of sensorimotor cortex pial vessels to hydrogen sulfide (H2S), L-NAME nonselective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and the combined application of H2S and L-NAME in sham-operated rats, nephrectomized rats, and nephrectomized animals that received human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) intravenously. In parallel, the myogenic tone of cerebral vessels was assessed with a LAKK-M laser doppler. The results showed that, 4 months after nephrectomy in rats, the reactivity of pial arteries to H2S and L-NAME seriously deteriorated (the number of dilated arteries decreased by 1.2–1.7 times, and the extent of constriction was 6–17% smaller). The myogenic tone of cerebral vessels after nephrectomy was 1.5 times higher than in control rats. Intravenous hMSC transplantation allowed the myogenic tone and the reactivity of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to be maintained at the level of control animals.