Immunomodulatory and cardio-protective effects of differentially originated multipotent mesenchymal stroma cells during polymicrobial sepsis in mice

• DOI: 10.1007/s00068-025-02862-2
• Publication Date: 2025-04-20T11:42:45Z
• Authors: Anna Kanewska; Ina Lackner; Anne Friedrich; Martina Winkelmann; Markus Rojewski; Birte Weber; Jochen Preßmar; Mario Perl; Hubert Schrezenmeier; Miriam Kalbitz

Abstract

Purpose Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with cardiac complications being an independent predictor of poor outcome. Although their mechanisms have been widely investigated, therapeutic options remain limited. One promising therapeutic tool are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). The aim of this study is to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of human MSCs from two different sources (bone marrow/BMMSC and adipose tissue/ASC) and to evaluate their cardioprotective potential.

Methods 60 adult male C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham, sepsis (cecal ligation puncture (CLP)) and two i.v. treatment groups CLP + human BMMSC and CLP + human ASC with 5 animals in each group. The observation periods were 8, 24 and 72 h. Left ventricular tissue was analyzed histologically, by qPCR (C3ar, C5ar1, Il-1b, Il-6, Il-10, Tlr2, Tlr4, Tnfa, and Nlrp3) and western blot. Cardiac damage markers troponin I and heart fatty acid binding protein (HFABP) were detected in serum by ELISA.

Results Troponin I and HFABP were significantly increased in CLP group after 8 h compared to sham. In cardiac tissue the expression of C3ar, C5ar1, Il-1b, Il-6, Il-10, Tlr2, Tlr4, Tnfa and Nlrp3 inflammasome was upregulated up to 24h after CLP compared to sham. After BMMSC treatment, C3ar as well as C5ar, Tlr2 and Il-10 mRNA expression in left ventricle was downregulated compared to CLP, whereas ASC treatment was associated with the downregulation of Il-6 and Nlrp3.

Conclusions CLP-induced polymicrobial sepsis in mice was associated with cardiac damage and increased inflammation in left ventricular tissue. Therapeutic systemic application of human BMMSC and ASC ameliorated damage and inflammation in the heart.