Combining mesenchymal stem cells with serelaxin provides enhanced renoprotection against 1K/DOCA/salt?induced hypertension

Background and Purpose Fibrosis is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that significantly contributes to renal dysfunction, impairs the efficacy stem cell-based therapies. This study determined whether combining bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells (BM-MSCs) with renoprotective effects recombinant human relaxin (serelaxin) could therapeutically reduce fibrosis in mice one kidney/deoxycorticosterone acetate/salt (1K/DOCA/salt)-induced hypertension, compared ACE inhibitor, perindopril. Experimental Approach Adult male C57BL/6 were uni-nephrectomised received deoxycorticosterone acetate saline drink (1K/DOCA/salt) for 21 days. Control but water over same time period. Sub-groups 1K/DOCA/salt-injured (n = 5–8 per group) treated either serelaxin (0.5 mg·kg?1·day?1) or BM-MSCs (1 × 106 mouse) alone; both treatments combined (with 0.5 1 mouse); perindopril (2 from days 14–21. Key Results developed elevated BP hypertension-induced damage, inflammation fibrosis. alone reduced injury-induced attenuated similar extent as Serelaxin modestly effectively tubular injury. Strikingly, (at doses) inhibited proximal epithelial injury while restoring architecture, greater than therapy alone, Conclusion Implications Combining provided broader renoprotection might represent novel treatment hypertensive CKD.