# Efficacy of Repeated Administration of Cultured Human CD34+ Cells Against Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy in Rats

## TL;DR

Repeated administration of human CD34+ cells reduced kidney damage and improved function in diabetic rats, suggesting potential for treating diabetic nephropathy.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that human CD34+ cells can ameliorate diabetic nephropathy in rats through anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects.

## Key findings

- CD34+ cell therapy significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion in diabetic rats.
- Cell therapy improved kidney pathology, including mesangial expansion and interstitial fibrosis.
- Transcriptomic analysis showed upregulation of anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis-related genes in treated rats.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?

Human cultured CD34+ cells improved urinary protein excretion and pathological damage in rats with diabetic nephropathy.

Human cultured CD34+ cells upregulated the expression of anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis-related genes in rat kidney tissues.

What are the implications of the main findings?

Human CD34+ cells have a regenerative effect and the potential to improve diabetic nephropathy.

The results of this study support the validity of future clinical trials using CD34+ cells to treat diabetic nephropathy.

To date, no clinical trial has investigated the potential of CD34+ cells to treat diabetic nephropathy. This study examined the efficacy of human CD34+ cells against diabetic nephropathy in rats. Rats were administered streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally and divided into three groups: normal control, STZ control, and STZ plus cell therapy. The STZ-plus-cell-therapy group was administered human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells weekly for three weeks. At eight weeks, the rats’ renal function, pathology, and transcriptome profiles were assessed. Although blood glucose levels did not differ between the STZ-administered groups, urinary albumin excretion was significantly lower at 6 weeks in the STZ-plus-cell-therapy group than in the STZ control group (p < 0.001). Serum creatinine levels tended to be higher in the STZ control group and lower in the STZ-plus-cell-therapy group. Cell therapy significantly improved mesangial expansion, interstitial fibrosis, peritubular capillary rarefaction, and glomerular macrophage infiltration compared with the STZ control (p < 0.0001). Kidney transcriptomics revealed significant upregulation of genes related to M2 macrophage markers, cell homing, and angiogenesis in the STZ-plus-cell-therapy group. In rats with STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy, human CD34+ cells ameliorated renal injury through their anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects.