Effect of endothelial progenitor cells derived from human umbilical cord blood on oxygen-induced retinopathy in mice by intravitreal transplantation

Abstract:

AIM: To investigate the effect of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) labeled by carboxy fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) on murine oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) by intravitreal transplantation. METHODS: After isolated from human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells, EPCs were cultivated and then labeled with CFSE in vitro. C57BL/6J mice were placed to 75% hyperoxia chamber from P7 to P12 to establish OIR model. At P12, OIR mice were intravitreally injected with 1 μL suspension contained 2×105 EPCs (EPCs group) or isometric phosphate buffered saline (PBS group). The contralateral eye of each mice received no injection (OIR group). Evans blue angiography and frozen section were examined to track the labeled cells in OIR group at P15 and P19. Using retina paraffin sections and adenosinediphos phatase staining at P12 and P19, the effect of EPCs on OIR mice was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. RESULTS: The retinas from EPCs group with less non-perfusion area and fewer peripheral tufts were observed at P19, comparing with that from PBS or OIR group. The retinopathy in EPCs group receded earlier with less non-ganglion cells and neovascular nuclei, together with relatively regular distribution. The counts of the neovascular nuclei at P19 were reduced by 44% or 45%, compared with those of OIR group or PBS group respectively. Three days after EPCs injection, a large number of EPCs appeared in the vitreous cavity and adhered to the retinal surface. While at one week, the cells gathered between the internal plexiform layer and the inner limiting membrane, and some EPCs appeared in retinal vessels. CONCLUSION: EPCs transplantation can participate in the reparative procedure of the neovascularization in OIR.