The effect of intravenous injection of ckit + cells on the expression levels of STAT3, CTGF, TGFβ and fibrosis in the lung tissue of type 2 diabetic male rats

Abstract

Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the complications of diabetes and causes of death in these patients. Previous studies have shown the therapeutic potential of c-kit+ stem cells in diabetes. In this study, the effect of systemic injection of c-kit+ stem cells on pulmonary fibrosis of type 2 diabetic male rats was evaluated, focusing on the expression levels of STAT3, CTGF, and TGFβ. Methods: In the present study, 58 male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) Control group (C), received normal saline solution intravenously. 2) Diabetic group (D), diabetic animals that received normal saline solution intravenously. 3) diabetic group + c-kit+ cells (D+c-kit⁺), received one million c-kit⁺ cells intravenously. 4) Diabetic group + c-kit- cells (D+ckit -), received one million c-kit cells intravenously. Type 2 diabetes was induced by a high-fat diet followed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. 60 days after cell therapy, the right lung was used to measure oxidative stress and Col3, Col1A, Nrf2, TGFβ, STAT3, and CTGF proteins, and the left lung was used to investigate fibrosis. Results: Induction of type 2 diabetes was associated with increased tissue fibrosis, oxidative stress, and higher levels and expression of Col3, Col1A, Nrf2, TGFβ, STAT3, and CTGF proteins in the lung tissue of rats. The results of this study showed that intravenous injection of c-kit+ cells can moderate pulmonary fibrosis in diabetic model by reducing these factors.