胚胎造血过程中的成血管血液干细胞

在胚胎发育过程中,血细胞和内皮细胞共同产生于特定时间和地点的中胚层间质细胞。利用多种体内外方法证明,导致中胚层决定和分化形成造血细胞和内皮细胞的祖细胞就是成血管血液干细胞。本文就体内内皮祖细胞和造血干细胞标记的追踪,体外胚胎干细胞向造血和内皮细胞的决定与分化,影响成血管血液干细胞的关键转录因子等方面,综述了近年来成血管血液干细胞存在的证据、诱导发生、影响因素和多分化潜能,以及未来研究的前景。     

内皮祖细胞(EPCs)研究进展

组织工程血管以及组织工程化组织的血管化因目前内皮种子细胞扩增能力和生物活力的不足而受到限制。EPCs(内皮祖细胞)是内皮细胞的前体细胞。在胚胎期,内皮细胞系与造血细胞系来源于血岛内共同的祖先细胞;出生后,EPCs存在于骨髓,并可被转移至外周血,参与缺血组织的血管重建和血管的内膜化。因此EPCs有望成为今后组织工程内皮种子细胞的重要来源。     

血管再生中的内皮祖细胞

循环血液里存在一种被称为内皮祖细胞(endothelial progenitor cells,EPCs)的祖细胞亚群,具有在体内外分化为成熟内皮细胞的能力。根据内皮祖细胞与其他血液细胞的粘附能力的差异和内皮祖细胞的抗原特异性,内皮祖细胞可通过贴壁培养和免疫磁珠筛选而分离获得。内皮祖细胞可特异性表达三种祖细胞分子标志：CD133、CD34和血管内皮生长因子受体-2。当内皮祖细胞分化为成熟内皮细胞后,血小板内皮细胞粘附分子-1(CD31)、血管内皮粘附素(VE-cadherin,又称CD144)和Ⅷ因子(vWF)表达将上调。越来越多的证据显示,内皮祖细胞有利于体内内皮损伤后修复和血管再生。我们的研究发现,内皮祖细胞可修复apoE-缺陷小鼠血管移植物中的损伤内皮并且在动脉血管外膜中存在大量的血管祖细胞。然而,在机体的血管再生和动脉硬化的形成进程中,这些内皮祖细胞的作用和机制还不太明确。另外,有关机体内相应心血管疾病危险因素是如何影响内皮祖细胞功能的机制也不清楚。因此,对内皮祖细胞的归巢、释放和粘附机制的进一步深入研究将有助于人们探索内皮祖细胞的基础理论和临床应用价值。     

心脏血管的形成

心脏的血 管 形成 是 血管 发生 (vasculogenesis)、血 管 生成 (angiogenesis)及 动 脉生 成 (arteriogenesis)三种 机制 共同 作 用的 结 果 .血管 发 生是 指在 胚 胎期 ,来 源 于中 胚 层的 干细 胞增 殖 和分 化 ,形 成 内皮 细胞 ,进而 与其 他细 胞形 成 原始 的 心血 管系 统 .血 管生 成 出现 在血 管 发生 之后 ,是指 通过 内 皮细 胞的 增 殖由 原始 血 管丛 或已 存在 的血 管 形成 无 完好 血管 的 膜中 的毛 细 血管 .而 动 脉生 成是 指 具有 完好 的 动脉 中膜 的 小动 脉 的生 成,也包 括原 有的 侧 支循 环 的改 建及 成 熟 .总结 了 出生 前后 心 脏脉 管系 统 形成 的细 胞 及分 子机 理 ,并 从生 物 学及 临床 治疗 上就 一 些内 皮 前体 细胞 及 其它 脉管 起 源相 关问 题 进行 简单 的 介绍 .     

抑制Rac1蛋白活化阻碍胚胎发育早期血管新生

小G蛋白Rac1在胚胎发育早期血管形成尤其是内皮发生过程中的作用尚不清楚．采用胚胎干细胞(ESCs)为模型,建立稳定表达持续表达型Rac1(G12V)和显性失活型Rac1(T17N)编码序列的小鼠ESCs并制备胚胎小体(EBs),诱导分化后观察Rac1(G12V)和Rac1(T17N)对内皮细胞分化和迁移功能的影响．采用相差显微镜观察EBs发育和分化特征,Pull down分析Rac1表达变化,免疫荧光染色和Western blot分析内皮分化标志物,Matrigel凝胶实验观察血管索形成．结果表明,无论过表达或抑制Rac1的活化,并不影响EBs发育,均可形成典型的EBs胚层结构．抑制Rac1活化对内皮细胞系的发育无影响,但分化的内皮细胞不能连接成血管网．活化的Rac1表达减少,细胞迁移受到明显抑制．抑制Rac1活化导致细胞骨架F-actin排布紊乱．以上结果提示,Rac1影响胚胎早期血管发育的因素是抑制细胞游走,后者可能是通过F-actin机制所介导．     

甜菜夜蛾胚胎发育的研究(Ⅱ)--体腔、体壁、循环系统和部分器官的发育

详细研究了甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua(Hubner)在胚胎发育中体腔、肌肉、体壁、循环系统、丝腺、脂肪体和绛色细胞的发育过程,并总结了25℃下甜菜夜蛾胚胎发育的时间进度.体腔囊出现后,中胚层分为腹壁中胚层和背壁中胚层,前者将来形成体壁肌、脂肪体等,后者主要形成消化道外的肌肉层;腹壁中胚层与背壁中胚层交界处的细胞发育成成心细胞,随着背合的完成形成心脏,并与头部伸出的大动脉相接,形成背血管;胚胎发育到50h左右,体壁真皮细胞开始分泌含几丁质的表皮,幼虫孵化前,其体表布满脊突和刚毛;绛色细胞由胚体1～8腹节的外胚层部分细胞发育而成.     

内皮克隆形成细胞的研究进展和应用前景

内皮克隆形成细胞(endothelial colony-forming cells, ECFCs)是内皮祖细胞(endothelial progenitor cells, EPCs)的一种亚型,具有高度增殖、克隆形成和裸鼠体内血管形成的能力,在维持血管稳态方面发挥着重要作用。ECFCs的来源很广,包括外周血、脐血、骨髓、血管壁,以及人诱导的多功能干细胞(human-induced pluripotent stem cells, hiPSCs),其中研究较为深入的是外周血ECFCs(PB-ECFCs)和脐血ECFCs(CB-ECFCs)。在此,我们将简要介绍ECFCs功能障碍与疾病的相关性,总结ECFCs在缺血损伤、组织工程以及肿瘤治疗领域的基础研究进展和应用前景,最后对小鼠体内研究的局限性以及细胞体外培养条件改良等问题进行探讨。     

兔骨髓基质干细胞向血管内皮样细胞的诱导分化

目的:研究血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)联合碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(bFGF)促进兔骨髓基质干细胞向血管内皮样细胞的定向诱导分化,为血管化组织工程骨研究提供实验基础.方法:采集2周龄兔后肢长骨骨髓,用全骨骨髓贴壁法进行原代培养,将获得的第2代骨髓基质干细胞以1× 105/mL密度接种于内皮细胞条件培养基(含10 μg/L VEGF,10 μg/L bFGF,10％胎牛血清的DMEM/F12培养液)进行体外诱导培养,对诱导2周的细胞进行细胞形态观察和表型、功能鉴定.结果:经血管内皮细胞条件培养基诱导2周后的细胞呈扁平形,多边形,表达血管内皮细胞特异性标志CD31、VWF因子,细胞具有吞噬DiI-Ac-LDL和摄取FITC-UEA-1的功能,诱导的细胞可在BD基质胶内形成管腔样结构.结论:血管内皮细胞生长因子联合碱性成纤维细胞生长因子可以成功诱导兔骨髓基质干细胞为血管内皮样细胞,有希望作为组织工程骨的血管化的种子细胞.     

内皮祖细胞的分离培养与鉴定

内皮祖细胞的分离方法有免疫磁珠分离法、淋巴细胞分离液分离法(1.077)和差速贴壁法,这3种方法已被人们广泛使用,均可分离到一定的目的细胞。分离到的目的细胞在培养过程中逐渐分化、成熟、发育为内皮细胞。在内皮细胞和内皮祖细胞的鉴别区分,使用CD34+/CD133+/KDR+鉴定为内皮祖细胞,同时使用内皮祖细胞吞噬D il-ac-LDLFITC-UEA双阳性的方法也可鉴定为内皮祖细胞。     

肌动蛋白细胞骨架在小鼠第二生心区祖细胞部署发育中的作用

脊椎动物心管起源于早期胚胎的生心中胚层细胞,随后从邻近的咽中胚层和内脏中胚层中逐渐添加第二生心区(second heart field, SHF)祖细胞而延长。SHF细胞向心管贡献受损,使心管不能最大限度地延长,导致一系列的心脏发育缺陷,包括最常见的右心室发育不良与流出道分隔旋转异常等先天性出生缺陷。SHF祖细胞构成非经典顶端-基底极性上皮,并具有顶部单纤毛、动态肌动蛋白(actin)富集基底端的丝状伪足等特点。本文总结了actin细胞骨架在小鼠SHF祖细胞部署发育过程中的研究进展,揭示actin细胞骨架在SHF祖细胞发育特别是SHF细胞向流出道部署过程中的重要性,以期为阐明和理解SHF祖细胞迁移、部署的细胞生物学特性提供一定的理论参考。     

Sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling promotes critical migratory events in vasculogenesis

Here we have investigated the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling in the process of vasculogenesis in the mouse embryo. At stages preceding the formation of blood vessels (7.5-8 dpc) in the embryo proper, yolk sac, and allantois, the S1P receptor S1P(2) is expressed in conjunction with S1P(1) and/or S1P(3). Additionally, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2), an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of S1P, is expressed in these tissues throughout periods of vasculogenesis. Using the cultured mouse allantois explant model of blood vessel formation, we found that vasculogenesis was dependent on S1P signaling. We showed that S1P could replace the ability of serum to promote vasculogenesis in cultured allantois explants. Instead of small poorly reticulated clusters of rounded endothelial cells that formed under serum-free conditions, S1P promoted the formation of elongated endothelial cells that arranged into expansive branched networks of capillary-like vessels. These effects could not be reproduced by vascular endothelial growth factor or basic fibroblast growth factor administration. The ability of S1P to promote blood vessel formation was not due to effects on cell survival or on changes in numbers of endothelial cells (Flk1(+)/PECAM(+)), angioblasts (Flk1(+)/PECAM(-)), or undifferentiated mesodermal cells (Flk1(-)/PECAM(-)). The S1P effect on blood vessel formation was attributed to it promoting migratory activities of angioblasts and early endothelial cells required for the expansion of vascular networks. Together, our findings suggest that migratory events critical to the de novo formation of blood vessels are under the influence of S1P, possibly synthesized via the action of SK2, with signaling mediated by S1P receptors that include S1P(1), S1P(2), and S1P(3).     

Segregation of the embryonic vascular and hemopoietic systems.

The origin of endothelial cells and their subsequent assembly into the primary vascular system have been mostly analyzed in the avian embryo. Following the discovery of specific growth factors and their cognate receptors, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes have been unraveled in both birds and mammals. In particular, experimental studies of the angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, carried out in both vertebrate classes, have provided significant insight into the developmental biology of endothelial cells. The VEGF receptor VEGFR2 is the earliest marker known to be expressed by endothelial precursor cells of avian and mouse embryos. Based on the localization of VEGFR2+ cells in the avian embryo and on clonal culture experiments, two types of endothelial precursor cells can be distinguished from gastrulation stages onward: posterior mesodermal VEGFR2+ hemangioblasts, which have the capacity to differentiate into endothelial and hemopoietic cells, and anterior VEGFR2+ angioblasts, which can only give rise to endothelial cells.     

Differential expression of the Wnt and Frizzled genes in Flk1+ cells derived from mouse ES cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the potential to develop into various cell lineages including hemangioblasts (Flk1+), a common progenitor for hematopoietic and vascular endothelial cells. Previous studies indicate that Flk1+ cells, a marker for hemangioblast, can be derived from ES cell and that Flk1+ can be differentiated into hematopoietic or endothelial cells depending on culture conditions. We developed an improved in vitro system to generate Flk1+-enriched cultures from mouse ES cells and used this in vitro system to study the role of Wnt signalling in early endothelial progenitor cells. We determined the expression of the Wnt and Frizzled genes in Flk1+ cells derived from mouse ES cells. RT-PCR analyses identified significantly higher expression of non-canonical Wnt5a and Wnt11 genes in Flk1+ cells compared to Flk1- cells. In contrast, expression of canonical Wnt3a gene was reduced in Flk1+ cells. In addition, Frizzled2, Frizzled5 and Frizzled7 genes were also expressed at a higher level in Flk1+ cells. The differential expression of Wnt and Frizzled genes in Flk1+ cells provides a novel insight into the role of non-canonical Wnt signalling in vascular endothelial fate determination.     

Endoderm is required for vascular endothelial tube formation, but not for angioblast specification

Angioblasts, the precursor cells that comprise the endothelial layer of blood vessels, arise from a purely mesodermal population. Individual angioblasts coalesce to form the primary vascular plexus through a process called vasculogenesis. A number of reports in the literature suggest that signals from the adjacent endoderm are necessary to induce angioblast specification within the mesoderm. We present evidence, using both embryological and molecular techniques, indicating that endoderm is not necessary for the induction of angioblasts. Xenopus embryos that had endoderm physically removed at the onset of gastrulation still express vascular markers. Furthermore, animal caps stimulated with bFGF form angioblasts in the absence of any detectable endodermal markers. These results show that endoderm is not required for the initial formation of angioblasts. While Xenopus embryos lacking endoderm contain aggregates of angioblasts, these angioblasts fail to assemble into endothelial tubes. Endothelial tube formation can be rescued, however, by implantation of endodermal tissue from sibling embryos. Based on these studies in Xenopus, and corroborating experiments using the quail embryo, we conclude that endoderm is not required for angioblast specification, but does play an essential role in the formation of vascular tubes.     

Evidence for novel fate of Flk1+ progenitor: contribution to muscle lineage

Flk1 is one of the specific cell surface receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor and one of the most specific markers highlighting the earliest stage of hematopoietic and vascular lineages. However, recent new evidence suggests that these Flk1(+) mesodermal progenitor cells also contribute to muscle lineages. All evidence is based on the experiments using in vitro differentiation and in vivo transplantation systems. Although this approach revealed a differentiation potential range of Flk1(+) cells that is wider than previously expected, it fails to determine whether Flk1(+) cells contribute to muscle lineage as part of the normal developmental process. To obtain direct evidence for the fate of Flk1(+) cells in development, we used a knock-in mouse line where Cre is expressed in Flk1(+) cells. Studies with these Cre lines provide direct evidence that Flk1(+) cells are progenitors for muscles, in addition to hematopoietic and vascular endothelial cells.     

Differential expression of KDR/VEGFR-2 and CD34 during mesoderm development of the early human embryo.

Recent findings on vertebrate embryos have provided compelling evidence for the existence of hemangioblasts, i.e. common precursors for endothelial and hematopoietic cells, characterized by expression of the VEGFR2/Flk1 receptor. We describe here a population of KDR+ CD34- mesoderm cells that emerges in early-somitic human embryos, by the beginning of the 4th week of gestation. In the developing blood vessels, KDR-expressing CD34- cells gradually coexpress increasing levels of CD34 antigen. Remarkably, as development proceeds, a KDR+ CD34- contingent persists in the paraaortic splanchnopleura until just prior to the emergence of aorta-associated hematopoietic cell clusters. These observations suggest that KDR+ CD34- mesodermal cells might represent the putative hemangioblastic precursor of human hematopoietic and endothelial lineages.     

Expressions of PDGF receptor alpha, c-Kit and Flk1 genes clustering in mouse chromosome 5 define distinct subsets of nascent mesodermal cells

In gastrulating embryos, various types of cells are generated before differentiation into specific lineages. The mesoderm of the gastrulating mouse embryo represents a group of such intermediate cells. PDGF receptor alpha (PDGFRα), c-Kit and fetal liver kinase 1 (Flk1) are expressed in distinctive mesodermal derivatives of post-gastrulation embryos. Their expressions during gastrulation were examined by whole mount immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies against these three receptors. The antibodies stained different mesodermal subsets in gastrulating embryos. Flow cytometry of head fold stage embryos revealed that Flk1⁺ mesodermal cells could be further classified by the level of c-Kit expression. To examine the possibility that hematopoietic cell differentiation is initiated from the Flk1⁺ mesoderm, embryonic stem (ES) cells were cultured on the OP9 or PA6 stromal cell layer; the former but not the latter supported in vitro hematopoiesis from ES cells. Flk1⁺ cells were detected only on the OP9 cell layer from day 3 of differentiation before the appearance of hematopoietic cells. Thus, Flk1⁺ cells will be required for in vitro ES cell differentiation into hematopoietic cells. The results suggest that these three receptor tyrosine kinases will be useful for defining and sorting subsets of mesodermal cells from embryos or in vitro cultured ES cells.     

Analysis of a zebrafish VEGF receptor mutant reveals specific disruption of angiogenesis

Blood vessels form either by the assembly and differentiation of mesodermal precursor cells (vasculogenesis) or by sprouting from preexisting vessels (angiogenesis). Endothelial-specific receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands are known to be essential for these processes. Targeted disruption of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or its receptor kdr (flk1, VEGFR2) in mouse embryos results in a severe reduction of all blood vessels, while the complete loss of flt1 (VEGFR1) leads to an increased number of hemangioblasts and a disorganized vasculature. In a large-scale forward genetic screen, we identified two allelic zebrafish mutants in which the sprouting of blood vessels is specifically disrupted without affecting the assembly and differentiation of angioblasts. Molecular cloning revealed nonsense mutations in flk1. Analysis of mRNA expression in flk1 mutant embryos showed that flk1 expression was severely downregulated, while the expression of other genes (scl, gata1, and fli1) involved in vasculogenesis or hematopoiesis was unchanged. Overexpression of vegf(121+165) led to the formation of additional vessels only in sibling larvae, not in flk1 mutants. We demonstrate that flk1 is not required for proper vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis in zebrafish embryos. However, the disruption of flk1 impairs the formation or function of vessels generated by sprouting angiogenesis.     

Bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1A signaling is dispensable for hematopoietic development but essential for vessel and atrioventricular endocardial cushion formation

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is crucial for the formation of FLK1-expressing (FLK1(+)) mesodermal cells. To further define the requirement for BMP signaling in the differentiation of blood, endothelial and smooth muscle cells from FLK1(+) mesoderm, we inactivated Alk3 (Bmpr1a) in FLK1(+) cells by crossing Alk3(floxed/floxed) and Flk1(+/Cre)Alk3(+/floxed) mice. Alk3 conditional knockout (CKO) mice died between E10.5 and E11.5. Unexpectedly, Alk3 CKO embryos did not show any hematopoietic defects. However, Alk3 CKO embryos displayed multiple abnormalities in vascular development, including vessel remodeling and maturation, which contributed to severe abdominal hemorrhage. Alk3 CKO embryos also displayed defects in atrioventricular canal (AVC) endocardial cushion formation in the heart. Collectively, our studies indicate a crucial role for ALK3 in vessel remodeling, vessel integrity and endocardial cushion formation during the development of the circulation system.