Exogenous IL-4-expressing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss in a guinea pig model.

Abstract

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) expressing recombinant IL-4 have the potential to remediate inflammatory diseases. We thus investigated whether BMSCs expressing exogenous IL-4 could alleviate autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss. BMSCs isolated from guinea pigs were transfected with recombinant lentivirus expressing IL-4. A total of 33 animals were divided into three groups. Group A received scala tympani injection of IL-4-expressing BMSCs, and Group B received control vector-expressing BMSCs, and Group C received phosphate-buffered saline. The distribution of implanted BMSCs in the inner ears was assessed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence microscopy. Auditory brain-stem response (ABR) was monitored to evaluate the auditory changes. Following BMSCs transplantation, the threshold levels of ABR wave III decreased in Groups A and B and significant differences were observed between these two groups (P < 0.05). Transplanted BMSCs distributed in the scala tympani and scala vestibuli. In some ears with hearing loss, there was a decrease in the number of spiral ganglion cells and varying degrees of endolymphatic hydrops or floccule. Following transplantation, the lentivirus-infected BMSCs migrated to the inner ear and produced IL-4. Our results demonstrate that, upon transplantation, BMSCs and BMSCs expressing recombinant IL-4 have the ability to remediate the inflammatory injury in autoimmune inner ear diseases.

• Authors: Chang-qiang Tan, Xia Gao, Lang Guo, He Huang
• Journal: BioMed research international (Biomed Res Int) Vol. 2014 Pg. 856019 ( 2014) ISSN: 2314-6141 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24864261 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Retracted Publication)

Chemical References

• Interleukin-4

Topics

• Animals
• Antibody Specificity (immunology)
• Auditory Threshold
• Autoimmune Diseases (blood, physiopathology, therapy)
• Bone Marrow Cells (metabolism)
• Cell Shape
• Cells, Cultured
• Disease Models, Animal
• Ear, Inner (pathology, physiopathology)
• Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem
• Female
• Guinea Pigs
• Hearing Loss, Sensorineural (blood, physiopathology, therapy)
• Immunohistochemistry
• Interleukin-4 (metabolism)
• Lentivirus (metabolism)
• Male
• Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
• Mesenchymal Stem Cells (metabolism)
• Reproducibility of Results