A comparison between placental and amniotic mesenchymal stem cells in transamniotic stem cell therapy for experimental gastroschisis.

Purpose: We compared placental and amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs and afMSCs, respectively) in transamniotic stem cell therapy for experimental gastroschisis.

Methods: Gastroschisis was surgically created in 126 rat fetuses at gestational day 18 (term = 22 days), immediately followed by volume-matched intraamniotic injections of suspensions of afMSCs (n = 32), pMSCs (n = 33), or normal saline (NS) (n = 33). Untreated fetuses served as controls (n = 28). Blinded observers performed computerized measurements of total and segmental (serosa, muscularis, and mucosa) intestinal wall thickness on the herniated bowel at term. Statistical analysis included ANOVA, the Wald test, and Levene's test (p < 0.05).

Results: Among survivors, there were statistically significant decreases in segmental and total bowel wall thicknesses in both the afMSC and pMSC groups vs. the untreated (p < 0.001 to 0.003) and saline (p < 0.001 to 0.011) groups. There were significant differences between the afMSC and pMSC groups favoring the former in both therapeutic impact and its variability (p < 0.001 to 0.031). Labeled cells were comparably identified within the intestinal wall in the afMSC and pMSC groups.

Conclusions: Both placental and amniotic mesenchymal stem cells can mitigate bowel damage in experimental gastroschisis as agents of transamniotic stem cell therapy. However, amniotic cells lead to improved and more consistent outcomes.

Level Of Evidence: N/A (animal and laboratory study).