Open AccessHuman umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation could improve diabetic intracavernosal pressure
Author(s) -
Jianhong Wu,
Dong-Ya Wang,
Sheng Lü,
Weiqing Qian,
Shujie Xia,
Qi Jiang
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
asian journal of andrology/asian journal of andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1745-7262
pISSN - 1008-682X
DOI - 10.4103/aja.aja_33_21
Subject(s) - medicine , mesenchymal stem cell , wharton's jelly , enos , basic fibroblast growth factor , transplantation , umbilical cord , vascular endothelial growth factor , endocrinology , paracrine signalling , growth factor , streptozotocin , diabetes mellitus , nitric oxide , nitric oxide synthase , immunology , pathology , vegf receptors , receptor
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete various cytokines with angiogenic and neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to assess the effects of human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (hWJ-MSCs) on diabetes-related intracavernosal pressure (ICP) impairment in rats. hWJ-MSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly and transplanted into the corpus cavernosum of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by unilateral injection. The erectile function was evaluated at 4 weeks, as well as the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). STZ-induced diabetic rats showed impaired ICP, which was significantly improved by hWJ-MSC treatment. VEGF, eNOS, IGF1, and bFGF expression levels were higher in hWJ-MSC injection sites than those in control ones in STZ-induced diabetic rats. These results suggest that hWJ-MSC transplantation might improve diabetic erectile dysfunction through increased production of paracrine growth factors, highlighting a novel potential therapeutic option for erectile dysfunction.