Role of mesenchymal stem cells and taurine in chronic pancreatitis in adult albino rats

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas that leads to pancreatic fibrosis. The current treatment of the disease is not efficient or adequate. Therefore, more efficient interventions are required to diminish the substantial burden of the disease. The present study aimed to assess the potential therapeutic value of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and/or taurine supplementation in CP-induced, using intraperitoneal injection of L-arginine. Forty-five rats were randomly divided into five groups (9 rats each): 1) control group, 2) CP group, 3) CP+BMSCs, 4) CP+Taurine, and 5) CP+BMSCs+Taurine. At the end of the experimental period, the pancreatic tissues were collected, weighed, and prepared for light, electron, and immunohistochemical (α-SMA) microscopic examination. The CP group showed destruction of the pancreatic tissues including fatty degeneration, minimal zymogen granules, and focal degranulation of the rER. Some of the islets degenerated with intense immunoreactivity of α-SMA in the stroma. The groups treated with BMSCs or taurine alone showed improvement of the pancreatic architecture with the presence of some cytoplasmic vacuolation, fewer zymogen granules than the control group, and minimal inflammatory cell infiltrate. The CP+BMSCs+Taurine group showed apparently normal architecture. The combined therapy of both BMSCs and taurine could ameliorate CP progression by suppressing inflammation and fibrosis.