Background and Aim: The number and potential of proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells decreases with age. These changes reduce efficacy of autologous transplantation in old people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of sodium selenite on telomere length and telomerase activity of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in aged rats.

Material and Methods: The BMSCs collected from aged male rats were cultured and treated with different concentrations of sodium selenite for 72 h. We evaluated the effect of sodium selenite on the proliferation potential of these cells using trypan blue exclusion test. Then, we evaluated the efficacy of the effective concentration of sodium selenite on telomerase activity, telomere length and the related telomerase gene expression. Telomerase activity was assessed byPCR-ELSA method and telomere length, and its related gene expression was assessed by the real time PCR technique.

Results: Use of sodium selenite at the concentration of 100nM led to significant increase in the proliferation of BMSCs and decreased telomere length in the aged rats compared to the control group, although the difference was not significant. Telomerase activity and the related telomerase gene expression did not show any change.

Conclusion: Sodium selenite improved proliferation of BMSCs of the aged rats.

Key words: Sodium selenite, Aging, Mesenchymal stromal cells, Telomere, Telomerase.

Received: Dec 12, 2015      Accepted: Apr 24, 2016