Combination therapy with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and propolis improves streptozotocin-induced kidney injury in diabetic rats

Salami, Fatemeh; Hosseinian, Sara; Mahdi Pour, Elahe; Shahraki, Samira; Rigi, Mohammad Hossein; Samadi Noshahr, Zahra; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein; Khajavirad, Abolfazl

doi:10.22038/ajp.2025.26229

Combination therapy with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and propolis improves streptozotocin-induced kidney injury in diabetic rats

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

¹ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

² Department of Medical Biotechnology, Medical School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

³ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Nurcing and Midwifery, Chabahar University of Medical Science

⁵ Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁶ Physiology

10.22038/ajp.2025.26229

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study was to determine the therapeutic
effects of combination therapy with propolis extract and rat bone marrow
mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic
rats.
Materials and methods: Firstly, characterization of MSCs was performed
and MTT assay was done to determine the optimum concentration of
propolis for incubation with MSCs. Rats were divided into 8 groups:
Control, diabetic , diabetic+propolis, diabetic+metformin, diabetic+MSCs,
diabetic+MSCs+ propolis, diabetic+ MSCs pre-incubated with propolis.
MSCs were transplanted via the tail vein on the 7th and 21st days of the
study . Renal function tests and histopathologic examination were
performed for all groups.
Results: Serum glucose concentration in all propolis and MSCs treatment
groups was significantly lower than that of the STZ group on the 21st and
42nd days of the study. On the 42nd day, the concentration of serum albumin
in the STZ group was significantly lower than the control. Serum albumin
concentration in all diabetic groups treated with propolis and MSCs was
significantly higher than the diabetic animals. On the 42nd day, the
concentrations of creatinine and urea in the STZ group were significantly
higher than all the treatment and control groups. The renal index and
histopathological parameters improved in all treatment groups compared
with the STZ group.
Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated, MSCs, propolis, and their
combination demonstrate positive effects on renal function, kidney index,
and histopathology in all treated animals compared with the STZ diabe

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