Title:The Effects of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation
on Female Fertility Restoration in Mice
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Author(s): Qiwei Liu, Junhui Zhang*, Yong Tang, Yuanyuan Ma, Zhigang Xue and Jinjuan Wang*
Affiliation:
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People’s
Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
- Department of Gynecological Minimal Invasive Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical
University, Beijing 100010, China
- Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100010, China
Keywords:
Female reproduction, MSCs, aging, chemotherapy, mice, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).
Abstract:
Background: Female fertility refers to the capacity to produce oocytes and achieve fertilization
and pregnancy, and it is impaired by age, disease, environment and social pressure. However,
no effective therapy that restores female reproductive ability has been established. Mesenchymal
Stromal Cells (MSCs) exhibit multilineage differentiation potential and have attracted considerable
attention as a tool for restoring female fertility.
Methods: This study used human umbilical cord-MSCs (Huc-MSCs) to restore fertility in aging female
mice and mice with chemotherapy-induced damage through the rescue of ovarian function
and reconstruction of the fallopian tubes and uterus. In our study, two mouse models were generated:
aging mice (35 weeks of age) and mice with chemotherapy-induced damage.
Results: The effect of MSCs on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus was evaluated by analyzing
gonadal hormone levels and by performing morphological and statistical analyses. The levels of estradiol
(E2) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) exhibited significant recovery after Huc-MSC
transplantation in both aging mice and chemotherapy-treated mice. Huc-MSC treatment also increased
the number of primordial, developing and preovulatory follicles in the ovaries of mice.
Moreover, MSCs were shown to rescue the morphology of the fallopian tubes and uterus through
mechanisms such as cilia regeneration in the fallopian tubes and reformation of glands and endometrial
tissue in the uterus.
Conclusion: Huc-MSCs may represent an effective treatment for restoring female fertility through
recovery from chemotherapy-induced damage and rescue of female reproductive organs from the
effects of aging.
