Bone Marrow-Derived C-Kit+ Cells Improved Inflammatory IL-33/ST-2/ILC2 Axis in the Lung Tissue of Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Inflammation is an essential factor in pulmonary complications of diabetes. Bone marrow (BM)-derived C-kit(+) cells have immunomodulatory properties and their transplantation is suggested as a promising strategy for ameliorating diabetes complications. This study evaluated the effect of BM-derived C-kit(+) cells on the inflammation signaling pathway in lung tissue of type 2 diabetic male rats. Ten rats were used to extract C-kit cells, and 48 male Wistar rats weighing 180 +/- 20 g were randomly divided into four equal groups: (1) Control (Cont), (2) Diabetic (D), (3) Diabetic + C-kit(+) cells (D + C-kit pos) intravenously injected 50-mu l phosphate buffer saline (PBS) containing 300,000 C-kit(+) cells, and (4) Diabetic + C-kit(-) cells (D + C-kit neg), intravenously injected C-kit(-) cells. Diabetes induction increased IL-33, ST-2, CD127, and IL-2 levels and decreased IL-10. C-kit(+) cell therapy significantly decreased IL-33 and CD127 and increased IL-10. In addition, lung histopathological changes significantly improved in the C-kit(+) group compared to the diabetic group. These findings suggest that C-kit(+) cells may have a potential therapeutic role in mitigating diabetes-induced respiratory complications via ameliorating the inflammation and histopathological changes in lung tissue.