Abstract
Pulmonary endothelial cell injury is a hallmark of acute lung injury. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) can modulate the inflammatory response via endothelial cell activation and release of inflammatory molecules. Thus, we tested whether induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can alleviate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced lung injury, and, if so, whether HMGB1 mediates the effect in a male C57BL/6 mouse model. Intravenously injected iPSCs into mice 2 h after I/R showed a significant attenuation of lung injury (assessed by lung mechanics, edema, and histology) 24 h after reperfusion (compared with controls), along with decreases in HMGB1, phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB, inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)1β, IL6 and tumor necrosis factor-α], and the activation of endothelial cells. Furthermore, these effects of iPSCs can be mimicked by blocking HMGB1 with an inhibitor in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that iPSCs can be a potential therapy for I/R-induced lung injury. These cells may exert therapeutic effects through blocking HMGB1 and inflammatory cytokines.