Effectiveness of Insulin-Induced umbilical cord stem cells on Seladin-1/APP/GFAP expression in rat hippocampal CA1/CA3 regions following chronic hypoxia

Abstract

Dementia, a syndrome characterized by cognitive impairment, significantly impacts the global elderly population. Given their paracrine properties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising avenue for developing novel treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Chronic hypoxia models Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology by triggering neuroinflammation and altering key biomarkers. This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of MSCs, insulin-induced MSCs, and insulin in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Forty-eight rats were allocated into eight experimental groups: normoxic control, sham-surgery control, and six hypoxic intervention groups (exposed to 8% O₂). Intraventricular administration of MSCs or insulin-induced MSCs, intranasal administration of insulin, or both insulin and MSCs were used in the intervention groups. Hypoxic exposure significantly elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α) and increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and amyloid precursor protein (APP), while decreasing levels of the neuroprotective factor Seladin-1. Administration of MSCs or Ins-MSCs effectively mitigated these hypoxia-induced alterations. Specifically, treatment with MSCs or Insulin induced-MSCs restored Seladin-1, GFAP, and APP expression levels to those observed in normoxic controls. Furthermore, these treatments attenuated the hypoxia-associated increase in Nissl body pathology within the hippocampal pyramidal cell layer. The most pronounced therapeutic benefits were observed following combined intranasal insulin and intraventricular MSC administration. Consequently, the combinatorial approach of MSCs and insulin warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease. Combining intranasal insulin with insulin-induced MSCs may offer a strategy to target multiple AD pathology pathways.