Systemic administration of c-Kit+ cells diminished pulmonary and vascular inflammation in rat model of chronic asthma.

Background: To circumvent some pitfalls related to acute status, chronic model of asthma is conceived to be more suitable approach to guarantee the conditions which are similar to human pulmonary disease. Here, possible therapeutic mechanisms were monitored by which c-kit⁺ bone marrow cells can attenuate vascular inflammation in rat model of chronic asthma.

Results: Data revealed c-Kit⁺ cells could significantly reduce pathological injures in asthmatic rats via modulating the expression of IL-4, INF-γ, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in lung tissues and TNF-α, IL-1β and NO levels in BALF (p < 0.001 to p < 0.05). Besides, c-Kit⁺ cells reduced increased levels of VCAM-1 evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining. In contrast to c-Kit⁺ cells, c-Kit^- cells could not exert beneficial effects in the asthmatic conditions.

Conclusion: Overall, we found that systemic administration of C-kit positive cells can diminish pulmonary and vascular inflammation of chronic asthmatic changes in a rat model. These cells are eligible to suppress inflammation and nitrosative stress in lung tissue coincides with the reduction of pathological changes. These data indicate that C-kit positive cells be used as an alternative cell source for the amelioration of asthmatic changes.