Therapeutic role of bone marrow-derived stem cells and zinc sulfate for reduction of liver fibrosis

Introduction: Hepatic fibrosis is considered as the initial state of any chronic hepatic disease; progression causes accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and develops into cirrhosis. In case of liver failure, transplantation was considered as the only suitable therapy but due to the hurdles in transplantation, therapy using stem cells was promoted. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Oxidative stress at the damage site causes poor MSC proliferation and engraftment. Thus, it is necessary to induce antioxidants with MSCs to enhance potency. Methods: To explore the therapeutic potential of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and MSCs on carbon tetra chloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic toxicity, 6-8 week-old female albino mice (BALB/c) were used. Initially, mice were infected with CCl4 and then intra-peritoneally injected with MSCs only, ZnSO4 only, or a combination of MSCs and ZnSO4. MSCs were isolated from femur and tibia of mice, and were cultured under control conditions. Results: The morphological results revealed that in contrast to MSC-only therapy, ZnSO4 enhanced the therapeutic potential of MSCs when administered to CCl4-injured mice. Biochemically, level of serum Alanine Transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin was found to be significantly decreased in ZnSO4 + MSC transplanted mice. Histopathological examination also revealed that ZnSO4 + MSC transplantation induced a strong anti-apoptotic effect on CCl4-injured liver. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected a noteworthy anti-fibrotic effect of MSCs in the presence of ZnSO4, down-regulation of apoptotic marker (Bax), and up-regulation of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-xl) and hepatic (Albumin) markers. Conclusion: Thus, it was concluded that the presence of ZnSO4 reduced oxidative stress, enhanced the proliferation rate of MSCs, and significantly attenuated hepatic fibrosis.