Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is one of the most common complications of early pregnancy associated in most cases with local or systemic immune abnormalities such as the diminished proportion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to modulate immune responses by de novo induction and expansion of Tregs. In this study, we analyzed the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in Treg-associated pregnancy protection following MSCs administration in an abortion-prone mouse mating. In a case-control study, syngeneic abdominal fat-derived MSCs were administered intraperitoneally (i.p) to the DBA/2-mated CBA/J female mice on day 4.5 of pregnancy. Abortion rate, Tregs proportion in spleen and inguinal lymph nodes, and Ho1, Foxp3, Pd1, and Ctla4 genes expression at the feto-maternal interface were then measured on day 13.5 of pregnancy using flow cytometry and quantitative RT- PCR, respectively. The abortion rate in MSCs-treated mice was significantly reduced and normalized to the level observed in normal pregnant animals. We demonstrated a significant induction of Tregs in inguinal lymph nodes but not in the spleen following MSCs administration. Administration of MSCs remarkably upregulated the expression of HO1, Foxp3, Pd1, and Ctla4 genes in both placenta and decidua. Here, we show that MSCs therapy could protect the fetus in the abortion-prone mice through Tregs expansion and up-regulation of Treg-related genes. These events could establish an immune-privileged microenvironment, which participates in regulation of detrimental maternal immune responses against the semi-allogeneic fetus.
On the interactions between mesenchymal stem cells and regulatory T cells for immunomodulation in transplantation
