Intraperitoneal Injection of Graphene Oxide Nanoparticle Accelerates Stem Cell Therapy Effects on Acute Kidney Injury.

Purpose: Graphene-based nanostructures have shown some degree of stem cell protection against cell death. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients. Here, graphene oxide (GO) was used to improve the efficacy of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of AKI induced by cisplatin, a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers.

Materials and methods: Cisplatin-induced AKI was modeled in male rats. Intraperitoneal injection of MSCs mixed with GO, synthesized by graphite powder, H₂SO₄, and KMnO₄ was administered in modeled animals. Biochemical analysis of serum and histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of kidney tissue samples were determined.

Results: Administration of GO nanoparticles suspended in MSCs reduced serum levels of creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in cisplatin-induced AKI in the experimental group compared to the control group. Histopathological evaluation also showed an improvement of morphological alterations of kidney, such as cellular proliferation, apoptosis and necrosis, cyst formation and intratubular debris in the experimental group compared to the control group. Our data revealed that GO injection alone without MSCs accelerated the improvement of the kidney injury induced by cisplatin.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that suspended GO could enhance the efficacy of stem cells in the treatment of AKI. GO alone without stem cell accelerates the improvement of cisplatin-induced AKI.