Mesenchymal stem cells suppress inflammation by downregulating interleukin-6 expression in intestinal perforation animal model.

Introduction: Intestinal perforation has significant fatality due to sepsis contamination and prolonged inflammation. Studies showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secreted cytokines and growth factors to reduce inflammation. This study aims to reveal the role of MSCs in controlling inflammation in intestinal perforation wound healing by measuring interleukin-6 (IL-6) and leukocytes in injured tissue.

Materials And Methods: A total of 48 rat models with a 10-mm longitudinal incision at the small intestine were divided into four groups: sham, control, Treatment group 1 (T1) injected with MSC doses of 1.5×10 cells and Treatment group 2 (T2) with 3×10 cells. IL-6 expressions were determined using western blot analysis, whereas the leukocyte infiltrations were assessed using the histopathological examination. All variables were evaluated on day 3 and 7.

Results: Leukocyte infiltration is significantly lower in T1 and T2 compared to control group in day 3 and 7 (<0.05), while there were no differences between the two treatment groups. The expression of IL-6 was found to be significantly lower in the T1 and T2 groups compared to the control group on days 3 and 7 (<0.05), with no significant differences observed between the two treatment groups.

Conclusion: MSCs administration in rats with intestinal perforation reduced inflammation by controlling leukocyte infiltration and IL-6 expression.