Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Nasal Mucosa Radiation Damage in a Guinea Pig Model

Nasal complications after radiotherapy severely affect the quality of life of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, and there is a compelling need to find novel therapies for nasal epithelial cell radiation damage. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in guinea pig model of nasal mucosa radiation damage and explored its therapeutic mechanism. Cultured hUC-MSCs were injected intravenously immediately after radiation in the nasal mucosa-radiation-damage guinea pig model. Migration of hUC-MSCs into the nasal mucosa and the potential for differentiation into nasal epithelial cells were evaluated by immunofluorescence. The therapeutic effects of hUC-MSCs were evaluated by mucus clearance time (MCT), degree of nasal mucosa edema, and the nasal mucosa cilia form and coverage ratio. Results indicate that the hUC-MSCs migrated to the nasal mucosa lamina propria and did not differentiate into nasal epithelial cells in this model. The MCT and degree of mucosal edema were improved at 1 week and 1 month after radiation, respectively, but no difference was found at 3 months and 6 months after radiation. The nasal mucosa cilia form and coverage ratio was not improved 6 months after radiation. Thus, hUC-MSCs can migrate to the nasal mucosa lamina propria and improve MCT and mucosa edema within a short time period, but these cells are unable to differentiate into nasal epithelial cells and improve nasal epithelial regeneration in the nasal mucosa radiation damage guinea pig model. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.