Comparative effects on type 2 diabetes of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue

Objective To compare the effects on type 2 diabetes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue. Methods Thirty type 2 diabetic rat models were established by an eight weeks high-fat diet (HFD) with a low dose streptozotocin (STZ, 25mg/kg), and randomly assigned into three groups (10 each): diabetes group (T2DM), bone marrow MSCs transplantation group (BMSC) and adipose tissue MSCs transplantation group (ADSC). Ten normal rats were set as control. MSCs were isolated from bone marrow or inguinal adipose tissue of normal rats. One week after STZ injection, 3×10 6 MSCs suspended in 1ml PBS were infused into rats via tail vein. The blood glucose was measured every day after MSCs transplantation, the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT) were performed the 7th day after transplantation to evaluate the effects of MSCs on diabetic rats. Pancreatic tissues were collected for insulin/glucagon immunofluorescence staining. Results After MSCs transplantation, the blood glucose decreased gradually and continuously in type 2 diabetic rats, with glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity improved greatly. The improved insulin sensitivity was further confirmed by a decreased HOMA-IR (homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance) index and increased pancreas islet β-cells (P