Mesenchymal Stem Cells Polarize Macrophages to an Anti-Inflammatory Phenotype to Ameliorate Diabetic Nephropathy.

ABSTRACT: In diabetic nephropathy (DN), classically activated macrophages (M1) are significantly increased, whereas alternatively activated macrophages (M2) are markedly decreased in the renal tissues. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to stimulate macrophages from M1 phenotype to M2 phenotype. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether the polarization of M1/M2 induced by MSCs was involved in DN. We injected human umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs) into DN rats and found UC-MSC infusion reduced the infiltration of M1 macrophages and increased the infiltration of M2 macrophages in the glomerulus, thereby attenuating histopathological renal damage and improving renal inflammation and fibrosis in DN rats. Then, peritoneal macrophages were extracted and directed into M1 macrophages by lipopolysacchar

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12916875 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature