Introduction and Objectives: Diabetic retinopathy is a serious ocular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of blindness and loss of vision in developed and developing countries. The present study aimed to investigate and compare the possible ascorbic acid (AA)-enhanced therapeutic effect of bone marrow hemopoietic stem cells (BMHSCs) to adipose mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced early diabetic retinopathy (DR) in male albino rat model.
Methods and Results: 30 adult male albino rats were divided into: Donor group: 2 rats for BMHSCs and AMSCs isolation and culture. Group І (Control Group): 6 rats, Group II (DR Group): 8 rats, 50 mg of STZ were injected intraperitoneally (IP), Diabetes was confirmed 3 days after STZ injection by monitoring blood glucose levels. Group III (DR BMHSCs and AA-treated Group): 7 rats, 1x106 BMHSCs, were injected IP combined with oral administration of AA at a dose of 500 mg/Kg daily and Group IV (DR AMSCs and AA-treated Group): 7 rats, 1x106 AMSCs were injected combined with AA as in group III following confirmation of diabetes. Groups I, II, III and IV were sacrificed 8 weeks following confirmation of diabetes. Electroretinogram (ERG), serological, biochemical, histological, morphometric and statistical studies were performed. In group II, neurodegenerative changes were found in the retina that regressed in groups III more obviously than IV. ERG, blood glucose, MDA, SOD, TNFα and qPCR were confirmative.
Conclusions: AA enhanced regenerative effect of BMHSCs was more obvious, suggesting the possibility of its application as a therapeutic modality for DR.