The role of pregnancy associated progenitor cells in the regeneration of injured maternal organs

Abstract

Microchimeric fetal cells are present in the maternal body over a long period and thought to have the ability to colonize multiple tissues and organs. They are found in a wide range of maternal tissues affected with variety of diseases, thus, there is a possibility that they may contribute tissue repair and regeneration. To assess their possibility of use in regenerative medicine, we investigated whether fetal cells regenerate infracted maternal organs. We crossbred wild female mice with male transgenic mice, expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and total hysterectomies were performed at the day 6 of pregnancies. On day 60 after the operations, the mice were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce multiple organs injuries. We also created the ischemic organ injury model ; myocardial infarction model and cerebral infarction model. Detection and quantification of fetal cells were then attempted in a variety of maternal organs via a fluorescent microscope and quantitative PCR amplification of the gfp transgene. Fetal cells were detected only in maternal bone marrow before maternal organs injuries were induced, however, they were detected not only in bone marrow but also in the maternal injured organs. Histological analysis showed that differentiated fetal cells were observed and their morphological appearance was indistinguishable from their maternal counterparts. These results indicate that fetal cells sustained their population in the maternal bone marrow, may have contributed to the maternal tissue regeneration.