Effect of Human Amnion Epithelial Cells on the Acute Inflammatory Response in Fetal Sheep

Intrauterine inflammation is a significant cause of injury to the developing fetal brain. Using a preterm fetal sheep model of in utero infection, we asked whether human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) were able to reduce inflammation-induced fetal brain injury. Surgery was undertaken on pregnant sheep at ~105 days gestation (term is 147 days) for implantation of vascular catheters. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 150 ng/kg bolus) or saline was administered IV at 109, 110, and 111 days. Sixty million fluorescent-labeled hAECs were administered at 110, 111, and 112 days gestation via the brachial artery catheter. Brains were collected at 114 days for histological assessment. hAECs were observed within the cortex, white matter, and hippocampus. Compared to control lambs, LPS administration was associated with significant and widespread fetal brain inflammation and injury as evidenced by increased number of activated microglia in the periventricular white matter ( p = 0.02), increased pyknosis, cell degeneration ( p = 0.01), and a nonsignificant trend of fewer oligodendrocytes in the subcortical and periventricular white matter. Administration of hAECs to LPS-treated animals was associated with a significant mitigation in both inflammation and injury as evidenced by fewer activated microglia ( p = 0.03) and pyknotic cells ( p = 0.03), significantly more oligodendrocytes in the subcortical and periventricular white matter ( p = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively), and more myelin basic protein-positive cells within the periventricular white matter ( p = 0.02). hAEC administration to fetal sheep exposed to multiple doses of LPS dampens the resultant fetal inflammatory response and mitigates associated brain injury.

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Delayed intranasal infusion of human amnion epithelial cells improves white matter maturation after asphyxia in preterm fetal sheep

Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism ◽

10.1177/0271678x17729954 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 223-239 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Lotte G van den Heuij ◽

Mhoyra Fraser ◽

Suzanne L Miller ◽

Graham Jenkin ◽

Euan M Wallace ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Cortical Area ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Specific Treatment ◽

Brain Weight ◽

Fetal Sheep ◽

Human Amnion ◽

White Matter Maturation ◽

Amnion Epithelial Cells

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury remains highly associated with neurodevelopmental disability after preterm birth. There is increasing evidence that disability is linked with impaired white matter maturation, but there is no specific treatment. In this study, we evaluated whether, in preterm fetal sheep, delayed intranasal infusion of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) given 1, 3 and 10 days after severe HI, induced by umbilical cord occlusion for 25 min, can restore white matter maturation or reduce delayed cell loss. After 21 days recovery, asphyxia was associated with reduced electroencephalographic (EEG) maturation, brain weight and cortical area, impaired maturation of oligodendrocytes (OLs), no significant loss of total OLs but a marked reduction in immature/mature OLs and reduced myelination. Intranasal infusion of hAECs was associated with improved brain weight and restoration of immature/mature OLs and fractional area of myelin basic protein, with reduced microglia and astrogliosis. Cortical EEG frequency distribution was partially improved, with reduced loss of cortical area, and attenuated cleaved-caspase-3 expression and microgliosis. Neuronal survival in deep grey matter nuclei was improved, with reduced microglia, astrogliosis and cleaved-caspase-3-positive apoptosis. These findings suggest that delayed intranasal hAEC administration has potential to alleviate chronic dysmaturation after perinatal HI.

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