Bone marrow transplantation stimulates pancreatic β-cell replication after tissue damage

Islets. 2009 Jul-Aug;1(1):10-8. doi: 10.4161/isl.1.1.8529.

Abstract

Bone marrow transplantation has been shown to normalize hyperglycemia but the mechanisms underlying pancreatic β-cell regeneration remain elusive. Here, we investigate the capacity of transplanted bone marrow cells to engraft into the pancreas, to adopt an endothelial cell phenotype and to stimulate β-cell regeneration after islet damage. Genetically marked whole bone marrow from Tie2-Cre/ZEG mice was transplanted into lethally irradiated wild-type mice. The fate of the transplanted cells, as well as blood glucose levels and β-cell mass dynamics, was investigated in normal and hyperglycemic recipient mice. Bone marrow transplantation significantly increased β-cell mass and reduced the hyperglycemia of mice subjected to β-cell damage by streptozotocin (STZ). This was associated with enhanced replication of pre-existing β-cells, proportional to the degree of β-cell damage, whereas no evidence was obtained for islet neogenesis. The engrafted bone marrow-derived cells in the pancreas showed little capacity to differentiate into blood vessel endothelium but retained a myeloid cell fate. By contrast, the transplantation evoked pronounced proliferation of recipient endothelial cells. These findings illuminate an important adjuvant function of transplanted bone marrow cells in both angiogenesis and β-cell regeneration. This may have interesting clinical implications, not least for human islet transplantation endeavours, where co-transplantation of islets with bone marrow cells might represent a simple means to improve islet survival and function.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / physiology*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / chemically induced
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / pathology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells / pathology
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Pancreas / drug effects
  • Pancreas / pathology
  • Pancreas / physiopathology
  • Pancreatic Diseases / chemically induced
  • Pancreatic Diseases / pathology
  • Pancreatic Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Pancreatic Diseases / therapy*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor, TIE-2
  • Streptozocin
  • Up-Regulation / physiology

Substances

  • Streptozocin
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptor, TIE-2
  • Tek protein, mouse