This study compared the cardioprotective action of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and PUFAs in a rat model of gentamicin (GM)-induced cardiac degeneration. Male Wistar albino rats were randomized into four groups of eight rats each: group I (control group), group II (gentamicin-treated rats receiving gentamicin intraperitoneally (IP) at dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days), group III (gentamicin and PUFA group receiving gentamicin IP at dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days followed by PUFAs at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks), and group IV (gentamicin and MSC group receiving gentamicin IP at dose of 100 mg/kg/day followed by a single dose of MSCs (1 × 106)/rat IP). Cardiac histopathology was evaluated via light and electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase-3 (apoptosis), Bcl2, and Bax expression was performed. Moreover, cardiac malonaldehyde (MDA) content, catalase activity, and oxidative stress parameters were biochemically evaluated. Light and electron microscopy showed that both MSCs and PUFAs had ameliorative effects. Their actions were mediated by upregulating PCNA expression, downregulating caspase-3 expression, mitigating cardiac MDA content, catalase activity, and oxidative stress parameters. MSCs and PUFAs had ameliorative effects against gentamicin-induced cardiac degeneration, with MSCs showing higher efficacy compared to PUFAs.
Keywords: MDA; PCNA; cardiac degeneration; caspase-3; catalase; mesenchymal stem cells; n − 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.