Efficacy of Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Stem Cells Transplantation versus their conditioned media in Hypothyroid Rats on Thyroid Function and Structure.

Abstract

Background: Primary hypothyroidism is a chronic condition with significant morbidity. Providing physiological thyroid hormone replacement through pharmacological treatment remains controversial. Aim of work: To evaluate the efficacy of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UM-MSCs) transplantation versus their conditioned media (CM) on thyroid function tests (TFTs) and thyroid structure in hypothyroid rats, also to compare intravenous versus its intranasal route. Methods: This study was conducted on forty male Wistar rats divided equally into 4 groups. Group I served as a negative control group, group II received amiodarone (AMD, 100 mg/kg /day for one month) to induce hypothyroidism, group III (AMD+UM-MSCs) through intranasal and intravenous routes, and group IV (AMD+CM) through intranasal and intravenous routes. TFTs were measured at the beginning of the experiment, after 30 days of AMD administration, and then after ten days from the injection of stem cells and conditioned media (at day 40). Bodyweight and rectal temperature were measured weekly during the study. Rats were authentically sacrificed, the thyroid gland was extracted from each rat for histological studies (Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), electron microscopy (E/M), and Immunohistochemistry). Results: Normalization of TFTs after ten days from transplantation in treated groups (p<0.05) showing no difference between intravenous and intranasal groups. Electron microscopy together with H&E showed restoration of thyroid follicles morphology. Furthermore, immune reactions for BCL2 (B Cell Lymphoma 2), iNOS (Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase), and BAX (Bcl-2-associated X protein) in both stem cells and conditioned media groups were comparable to the control group. Conclusion: Stem cells-derived conditioned media was as effective as umbilical cord-derived stem cells in reversing hypothyroid status in rats either by intravenous or intranasal routes.