METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were grouped into normal rats (N) and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body weight) whereas N similarly received citrate buffer. STZ-injected rats with blood glucose of more than 20 mmol/L were considered diabetic and were divided into vehicle-treated (DV) and TRF-treated (DT) groups. N and DV received vehicle, whereas DT received TRF (100 mg/kg body weight) via oral gavage once daily for 12 weeks. Fundus images were captured at week 0 (baseline), week 6 and week 12 post-STZ induction to estimate vascular diameters. At the end of experimental period, rats were euthanized, and retinal tissues were collected for morphometric analysis and measurement of NFκB, phospho-NFκB (Ser536), HIF-1α using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Retinal inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines expression were measured by ELISA and real-time quantitative PCR.
RESULTS: TRF preserved the retinal layer thickness (GCL, IPL, INL and OR; p
Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups: a no-treatment control group (n = 6), balanced salt solution (BSS) treatment group (n = 6), and hUC-MSCs treatment group (n = 6). Visual functions were assessed by flash visual evoked potential (fVEP) at baseline, Week 3, and Week 6 after optic nerve crush injury. Right eyes were enucleated after 6 weeks for histology.
Results: The fVEP showed shortened latency delay and increased amplitude in the hUC-MSCs treated group compared with control and BSS groups. Higher cellular density was detected in the hUC-MSC treated group compared with the BSS and control groups. Co-localized expression of STEM 121 and anti-S100B antibody was observed in areas of higher nuclear density, both in the central and peripheral regions.
Conclusion: Peribulbar transplantation of hUC-MSCs demonstrated cellular integration that can potentially preserve the optic nerve function with a significant shorter latency delay in fVEP and higher nuclear density on histology, and immunohistochemical studies observed cell migration particularly to the peripheral regions of the optic nerve.