Combined cell therapy and anticoagulants for acute respiratory distress syndrome

Background: Recent evidence suggests the beneficial effects of cell therapies and nebulized anticoagulants for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Aim: Determine the therapeutic benefit of a combined cell therapy (alveolar type II cells (ATII), mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), supernatant (SN) ATII, SN MSC) with antithrombin in vitro in a coculture of ATII and alveolar macrophages injured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: Cocultured ATII and alveolar macrophages isolated from rat lungs were injured with LPS (10 ng/ml). Two hours after the injury a combined cell therapy (ATII, MSC, SN ATII, SN MSC) with antithrombin (0.1 ng/ml) was administered. Proinflammatory mediators and coagulant factors were analyzed via qRT-PCR at 18 h. Data are expressed as mean±SEM. Statistical analysis was performed using One-Way-ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test (statistical significance p≤0.05). Results: Proinflammatory mediators and coagulant factors were significantly increased after LPS administration. After administering the different treatments compared the expression of IL1β, IL6, TF PAI-1 and Plasminogen was not as high as in the LPS group. Conclusions: The results indicate that combined cell therapy with antithrombin are able to attenuate inflammation and coagulation in vitro in a coculture of ATII and macrophages. Both treatments together are able to face different processes involved in lung injury.