Immature Dental Pulp Stem Cells Showed Renotropic and Pericyte-Like Properties in Acute Renal Failure in Rats

Abstract

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common renal disease that can lead to high mortality. Recovery from ARF occurs with the replacement of necrotic tubular cells by functional tubular epithelial cells and the normalization of microvascular endothelial cell function in the peritubular capillaries. Conventional therapeutic techniques are often ineffective against ARF. Hence, stem cell therapies, which act through multiple trophic and regenerative mechanisms, are encouraging. We investigated the homing of human immature dental pulp stem cells (IDPSCs) after endovenous (EV) or intraperitoneal (IP) injection, in immunocompetent Wistar rats with ARF induced by intramuscular injection of glycerol, without the use of immunosuppression. The cells, which had been cryopreserved for 6 years, were CD105+, CD73+, CD44+, and partly, STRO-1+ and CD146+, and presented unaltered mesoderm differentiation potential. The presence of these cells in the tubular region of the kidney and in the peritubular capillaries was demonstrated. These cells accelerate tubular epithelial cell regeneration through significant increase of Ki-67-immunoreactive cells in damaged kidney. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that IDPSCs home to the kidneys (EV 34.10% and IP 33.25%); a lower percentage of cells was found in the liver (EV 19.05% and IP 9.10%), in the muscles (EV 6.30% and IP 1.35%), and in the lungs (EV 2.0% and IP 1.85%). After infusion into rat, these cells express pericyte markers, such as CD146+, STRO-1+, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF+). We found that IDPSCs demonstrate renotropic and pericyte-like properties and contributed to restore renal tubule structure in an experimental rat ARF model.