Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive degenerative brain disorder. This work aimed to illuminate the possible effects of Alzheimer's disease and subsequent bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell therapy (BM-MSCs) on rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Methods: Thirty adult male albino rats were divided into 3 groups (ten rats each) and received a daily intraperitoneal injection of 0.9% saline (group I), 70mg/kg b.w. AlCl3.6H2O dissolved in distilled H2O (groups II and III). However, group III received a single dose of BM-MSCs after 6 weeks of daily AlCl3.6H2O. After another 6 weeks, dissected TMJ specimens were prepared for histopathological and VEGF immunohistochemical examination, AChE western blotting and detection of collagen gene expression (types I&II) by real-time PCR.
Results: Comparing to group I, H&E sections of group II presented retarded endochondral ossification, osteoarthritic and osteoporotic changes of TMJ components ascertained by significant VEGF overexpression. All were significantly alleviated in group III with the still significant increase of VEGF positivity compared to group I. The significantly upregulated AChE and reduced collagens I&II gene expression in group II compared to group I, were restored in group III with an increase compared to group I that was significant for collagen I gene and insignificant for both AChE plus collagen II gene expression.
Conclusions: The alleviated findings subsequent to stem cell therapy might exceed the normal in some respects like enhanced ossification. MSCs can most probably treat neural and aging-related diseases with the ensuing peripheral changes. Yet, we recommend conducting further studies for a therapeutic approach that has the potential to mediate self-renewal and differentiation of host stem cells to overcome all possible adverse effects of exogenous grafting.