Effect of endothelial progenitor cells on renal impaivement of unilateral ureteral obstruction rats

Objective To reaserch effect of endothelial progenitor cells on renal impairment of unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO) rats.Methods Mononuclear cells(MNCs) in rat bone marrow were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and were cultured according to previously described techniques,then transplanted by direct renal artery injection.Histopathological changes in kidney slices and severity were judged by interstitial lesion scoring by HE,PAS,and Masson methods.The expression of α-SMA and HIF-1α was detected by immunohistochemistry method.The protein expression of HIF-1α was assessed by Western blot method.Results Hepatic function and renal function did not vary among transplantation group and UUO group at the same time.The interstitial fibrosis and tubular injury in transplantation group was lighter than that in UUO group.Compared with sham group,expression of alpha-SMA was significantly higher in UUO group on 14,21d(P0.05),but that in transplantation group was lower than that in UUO group(P0.05) respectively on 14,21d.There was trace amount of expression of HIF in sham group.But in UUO group that was significantly increased(P0.05),and on 21d reached at peak.And expression in transplantation group was lower than that in UUO group respectively on 7,14,21d(P0.05).Conclusion EPCs transplantation improve renal interstitial damage,fibrosis and hypoxia of UUO rats.