Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Implantation for the Treatment of Radioactivity‑induced Acute Skin Damage in Rats

The present study aimed to observe the role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the repair of acute skin damage caused by radiation. Rat bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) were isolated and cultured in vitro. A rat model of radiation‑induced acute skin damage was established by irradiation of the hind legs of Sprague-Dawley rats using a linear accelerator (45 Gy). After irradiation, rats were randomly divided into two groups: BMSC group and control group. Rats in the BMSC group were treated with a tail vein injection of 2x106 BMSCs (1 ml) immediately after irradiation and a local multipoint injection of 2x106 BMSCs at the injured area two weeks later. Then the wound healing of each rat was observed. The expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‑β1, stromal cell‑derived factor-1 (SDF‑1) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the wounded tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that skin damage was milder in the BMSC group than in the control group. Moreover, the speed of healing in the BMSC group was better than that in the control group. In addition, the wound score, it was significantly lower in the BMSC group than in the control group (P<0.05). The expression of PGE2 and TGF‑β1 in the BMSC group was also significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), whereas the SDF‑1 expression was significantly higher in the BMSC group than that in the control group (P<0.05). BMSCs can effectively reduce inflammation and fibrosis in the wounded skin and promote the repair of acute radioactive skin injury. Thus, may be developed as a novel treatment for wound healing.