Transplanted Hair Follicle Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviated Small Intestinal Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury via Intrinsic and Paracrine Mechanisms in a Rat Model

The study demonstrated that hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (HFMSCs) alleviated small intestinal ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in a rat model. HFMSCs were able to home to damaged sites, differentiate into intestinal stem cells, and promote the expression of angiogenic and proliferative markers such as ANG1, VEGF, and IGF1. They also reduced apoptosis by modulating Bcl-2 and Bax expression, decreased oxidative stress, and protected the intestinal mucosal barrier. These findings suggested that HFMSCs could be a promising therapeutic option for treating small intestinal IR injury through both intrinsic and paracrine mechanisms.