2011 Volume 70 Issue 4 Pages 197-202
Habu snake venom (HSV) contains many matrix metalloproteinases and exhibits proteolytic activity against intestinal villi. In the present study, we examined whether bone marrow-derived cells (BMCs) could contribute to intestinal villous regeneration in a mouse model of HSV-induced intestinal injury. Intravenous administration of 2.1 mg/kg of HSV into C57BL/6 mice resulted in diffuse villus shedding with hemorrhage within 24 hours but the mice recovered completely by 14 days. To examine the role of BMCs in intestinal villous regeneration, bone marrow cells from GFP transgenic mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated C57BL/6 mice, after which intestinal injury was induced by HSV injection. Intestinal tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for GFP and CD45 at days 3, 7 and 14 after HSV administration. The number of GFP-positive cells in the villous epithelia was increased significantly in mice treated with HSV compared with control mice at days 3 and 7. Most of the GFP-positive cells in the villous epithelia exhibited a spherical shape and expressed CD45, indicating that they were bone marrow-derived lymphocytes. The other GFP-positive cells in the villous epithelia exhibited a columnar shape and were CD45-negative, suggesting that they were bone marrow-derived epithelial cells. The proportion of GFP-positive CD45-negative cells in the villous epithelia was also increased at days 3 and 7, although the proportion was less than 1% in the regenerated epithelial cells. These results suggest that bone marrow-derived cells may contribute to epithelial regeneration after intestinal villous injury.
