骨髓间充质干细胞向角膜上皮细胞分化及其免疫调节作用

目的：探讨大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞（rBMMSCs）转分化为角膜上皮的潜能,并在体外共培养体系中研究rBMMSCs对促炎细胞因子干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）刺激下的人角膜上皮细胞（hCECs）的免疫调节作用。方法采用聚蔗糖梯密度离心法获得rBMMSCs,并通过上皮细胞培养微环境来诱导rBMMSCs分化为上皮样细胞。通过免疫组织化学方法鉴定CD29、CD34、CK5＆8和ZO-1等标记物在rBMMSCs及诱导的上皮样细胞中的表达。流式细胞术用来分析CD29/CD34的表达及细胞分化过程中表达量的变化。hCECs单独培养或与rBMMSCs共培养,并采用IFN-γ/TNF-α刺激24或48 h。通过流式细胞术来分析细胞间黏附分子-1（ICAM-1）于IFN-γ/TNF-α刺激前后在hCECs上的表达,并通过黏附分析实验验证rBMMSC条件培养基对单核细胞黏附于IFN-γ/TNF-α刺激后的hCECs的作用。多组间比较采用单因素方差分析（ANOVA）,两组间比较采用双侧t检验。结果成功分离rBMMSCs,细胞表达CD29,但不表达CD34。在上皮细胞培养条件中培养5 d,大约4﹪的rBMMSCs可分化为上皮样细胞。此类细胞失去了CD29的标志,转为表达CK5＆8和ZO-1。IFN-γ/TNF-α能显著上调hCECs中ICAM-1的表达,在IFN-γ/TNF-α处理24 h和48 h后,ICAM-1分别呈现10倍和8倍的升高,分别达到4524±554.2和3107±329.6（P=0.0025,0.0014）。但与MSC共同培养时,上调作用被显著抑制,ICAM-1平均值为1356±325.6（24 h）与1323±106.6（48 h）（P=0.0079,0.0024）。MSC条件培养基可显著抑制单核细胞对hCECs的黏附作用,黏附细胞数从（10.01±3.01）×10^3/ml细胞降至（2.21±0.19）×10^3/ml细胞（P=0.0271）。结论rBMMSCs可转分化为角膜上皮样细胞,并抑制由促炎细胞因子诱导的ICAM-1在hCECs上的表达,同时对促炎细胞因子诱导的单核细胞的黏附性具有抑制作用,提示BMMSCs具有在角膜炎症疾病和损伤修复中的治疗潜能。     

山羊角膜缘干细胞荧光蛋白 (Venus) 细胞株的建立及角膜上皮植片构建

角膜缘干细胞是角膜上皮更新与修复的来源,角膜上皮受损严重常会导致角膜盲。尽管近几年通过角膜缘干细胞移植术(LSCT)治愈角膜上皮受损的临床应用已被推广,但是对于角膜缘干细胞移植受损机体后的修复机理并不明确。为了实现角膜缘干细胞移植后的活体追踪,使用G418筛选标记有Venus荧光蛋白的角膜缘干细胞株(GLSC-V),并以其为种子细胞接种于去上皮羊膜上,体外培养21d构建成荧光角膜上皮植片。荧光倒置显微镜下观察GLSC-V的细胞质和细胞核均有绿色荧光表达,在体外培养荧光至少持续3个月。免疫荧光检测GLSC-V细胞P63、Integrinβ1均呈阳性表达,对GLSC-V细胞及未转染的GLSCs进行半定量RT-PCR检测显示,两组细胞皆未表达终末分化角膜上皮细胞基因k3、k12,GLSC-V中p63及pcna较未转染组细胞略上调,venus强表达。经HE染色观察构建的人工角膜组织由5～6层上皮细胞组成,组织中上表皮细胞个数少、体积大且呈扁平状;基底部细胞密集、体积小且成立方状。经免疫荧光检测仅组织基底部最基层细胞表达P63,上表皮细胞不表达。该人工角膜与正常角膜上皮组织结构特性相似,可用于移植,为研究角膜缘干细胞修复严重受损角膜上皮机理奠定基础。     

角膜内皮细胞再生研究新进展

人角膜内皮细胞的主要功能是维持角膜透明性,角膜内皮单层发育成熟形成细胞接触后,内皮细胞会停止分裂增殖,但并没有退出细胞周期。角膜内皮细胞的增殖有多种因素的参与和影响,接触抑制和G1期抑制使细胞增殖暂时停止;细胞因子TGF-β2抑制人角膜内皮细胞进入细胞周期S期,而EGF、FGF、NGF则能够促进细胞的增殖;ROCK抑制剂Y-27632能够促进角膜内皮细胞的粘连,有助于内皮细胞的损伤修复。体外培养角膜内皮前体细胞、诱导多潜能干细胞向角膜内皮细胞分化,为今后治疗角膜内皮失代偿提供了新方向。     

角膜内皮和角膜上皮的细胞培养研究

本文报告了用带塑料环的明胶培养膜培养角膜内皮细胞和角膜上皮细胞的结果。两种细胞在达到生长密集状态后,均具有正常眼内角膜内皮和角膜上皮细胞的形态特征。此方法可用于各种培养细胞的研究,特别是需分隔细胞层顶面和底面培养环境的实验及药物毒性等研究,使实验条件更接近于正常眼内的环境条件。     

兔泪腺摘除后的泪液分泌及其角膜上皮的形态学改变

目的观察摘除泪腺后,兔泪液S1T值、角膜荧光素染色和虎红染色的变化及其角膜上皮超微结构的变化,评估兔干眼症模型的建立。方法摘除兔泪腺和Harder氏腺,比较泪腺摘除前后S1T、角膜荧光素染色和虎红染色分值的变化,并在透射电镜下观察角膜上皮形态学的变化。结果泪腺摘除后平均S1T值(15.88±6.29mm/5min)低于摘除前的平均S1T值(20.25±5.52mm/5min),差别有统计学意义(P=0.0062)。平均角膜荧光素染色和虎红评分(分别为8.22±1.99和7.67±0.87)明显高于摘除前(分别为0.22±0.44和0.67±0.5),差别有统计学意义(两组均P<0.0001)。以上3个检查指标的变化说明摘除泪腺后出现水液性泪液分泌缺乏,导致角膜上皮点状剥脱,干燥及坏死。在形态学上泪腺摘除前后的角膜上皮也发生了明显的改变,透射电镜检查发现液化的表层上皮细胞,表层细胞膜破裂。以上的改变均符合干眼症的特征。结论摘除兔泪腺和Harder氏腺后兔泪液分泌减少,角膜上皮坏死,能有效形成泪液缺乏型干眼模型。     

兔角膜缘干细胞的研究进展

目前,角膜移植是临床上治疗角膜疾患的最有效途径,但供体角膜非常有限。新近兴起的干细胞技术,为组织工程角膜的研制和应用提供了契机。对于以角膜缘干细胞缺乏或功能障碍为特征的疾病也有治疗效果。采取角膜缘干细胞移植应是一种合理有效的治疗手段。本文主要介绍了兔角膜缘干细胞的体外分离、培养、鉴定及一些生长因子对其增殖的影响。     

人尿源干细胞的提取和鉴定

目的从正常人尿液中分离得到具有增殖和分化能力的人尿源干细胞(h USC)。方法收集16例健康成人新鲜尿液,分离培养得到贴壁细胞,显微镜观察拍照。WST-1检测并绘制细胞生长曲线。流式细胞术分析细胞表面分子表达率。成骨和成脂诱导培养基诱导h USC分化。结果采用优化的细胞培养基得到12株具有较快增殖能力的h USC。分离的细胞中表达CD13、CD29、CD73、CD105的细胞数目均大于97﹪,表达CD90的细胞数目不足50﹪,表达造血系表面抗原CD14、CD19、CD34、CD45,内皮细胞表面抗原CD31以及HLA-DR的细胞数目均小于1﹪。h USC经诱导可分化成为骨和脂肪细胞。结论采用本研究自建培养体系可培养得到形态单一、具有较强增殖分化能力的人尿源干细胞。     

上皮肿瘤始于干细胞

人类肿瘤大约90％以上源自于上皮。上皮干细胞是唯一长期存在于上皮组织的细胞,可积累多次突变生成肿瘤。所以,人们认为肿瘤多起源于正常干细胞。然而,目前研究中关于上皮肿瘤干细胞及其与正常上皮干细胞的关系了解甚少。现综述近年来有关上皮干细胞和肿瘤发生的关系及其调控机制方面的研究进展。     

小鼠骨髓间充质干细胞通过miR-130b调控上皮钠通道的机制研究

该研究旨在探讨小鼠骨髓间充质干细胞(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,BMSCs)通过miR-130b对上皮钠通道(epithelial sodium channel,ENaC)的影响。将分离与培养的小鼠BMSCs接种到Transwell小室中,然后与H441细胞进行共培养。利用CCK-8试剂盒检测BMSCs对H441细胞生存能力的影响;采用Western blot技术检测BMSCs对共培养的H441细胞中γ-ENaC蛋白水平的影响;qRT-PCR技术检测与BMSCs共培养的H441细胞中miR-130b表达情况,然后将此microRNA转染到普通培养的H441细胞中,在蛋白水平进一步验证其对H441细胞中γ-ENaC的影响。实验结果表明,BMSCs能够增强H441细胞的生存能力;同时BMSCs能分别增加共培养的H441细胞中γ-ENaC的蛋白水平以及miR-130b的转录水平;Western blot实验进一步证实,miR-130b转染至H441细胞后能够增加其γ-ENaC的蛋白表达。由此我们推测,BMSCs能够增强H441细胞的生存能力并且可能通过miR-130b发挥其对γ-ENaC的蛋白水平调控作用。     

Evaluating alternative stem cell hypotheses for adult corneal epithelial maintenance

In this review we evaluate evidence for three different hypotheses that explain how the corneal epithelium is maintained. The limbal epithelial stem cell(LESC)hypothesis is most widely accepted. This proposes that stem cells in the basal layer of the limbal epithelium, at the periphery of the cornea, maintain themselves and also produce transient(or transit) amplifying cells(TACs). TACs then move centripetally to the centre of the cornea in the basal layer of the corneal epithelium and also replenish cells in the overlying suprabasal layers. The LESCs maintain the corneal epithelium during normal homeostasis and become more active to repair significant wounds. Second, the corneal epithelial stem cell(CESC) hypothesis postulates that, during normal homeostasis, stem cells distributed throughout the basal corneal epithelium, maintain the tissue. According to this hypothesis, LESCs are present in the limbus but are only active during wound healing. We also consider a third possibility, that the corneal epithelium is maintained during normal homeostasis by proliferation of basal corneal epithelial cells without any input from stem cells. After reviewing the published evidence, we conclude that the LESC and CESC hypotheses are consistent with more of the evidence than the third hypothesis, so we do not consider this further. The LESC and CESC hypotheses each have difficulty accounting for one main type of evidence so we evaluate the two key lines of evidence that discriminate between them. Finally, we discuss how lineage-tracing experiments have begun to resolve the debate in favour of the LESC hypothesis. Nevertheless, it also seems likely that some basal corneal epithelial cells can act as long-term progenitors if limbal stem cell function is compromised. Thus, this aspect of the CESC hypothesis may have a lasting impact on our understanding of corneal epithelial maintenance, even if it is eventually shown that stem cells are restricted to the limbus as proposed by the LESC hypothesis.     

The gastric epithelial progenitor cell niche and differentiation of the zymogenic (chief) cell lineage

In the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, the cell fate decisions that specify the development of multiple, diverse lineages are governed in large part by interactions of stem and early lineage progenitor cells with their microenvironment, or niche. Here, we show that the gastric parietal cell (PC) is a key cellular component of the previously undescribed niche for the gastric epithelial neck cell, the progenitor of the digestive enzyme secreting zymogenic (chief) cell (ZC). Genetic ablation of PCs led to failed patterning of the entire zymogenic lineage: progenitors showed premature expression of differentiated cell markers, and fully differentiated ZCs failed to develop. We developed a separate mouse model in which PCs localized not only to the progenitor niche, but also ectopically to the gastric unit base, which is normally occupied by terminally differentiated ZCs. Surprisingly, these mislocalized PCs did not maintain adjacent zymogenic lineage cells in the progenitor state, demonstrating that PCs, though necessary, are not sufficient to define the progenitor niche. We induced this PC mislocalization by knocking out the cytoskeleton-regulating gene Cd2ap in Mist1^−/− mice, which led to aberrant E-cadherin localization in ZCs, irregular ZC-ZC junctions, and disruption of the ZC monolayer by PCs. Thus, the characteristic histology of the gastric unit, with PCs in the middle and ZCs in the base, may depend on establishment of an ordered adherens junction network in ZCs as they migrate into the base.     

Enrichment of corneal epithelial stem/progenitor cells using cell surface markers, integrin alpha6 and CD71

Corneal epithelial stem cells are believed to reside in the basal layer of the limbal epithelium, but no definitive cell surface markers have been identified. For keratinocytes, stem/progenitor cells are known to be enriched by cell surface markers, integrin α₆ and CD71, as a minor subpopulation which shows high integrin α₆ and low CD71 expressions (α₆^bri/CD71^dim). In the present study, we investigated the possibility that corneal epithelial stem cells can be enriched by integrin α₆ and CD71. The α₆^bri/CD71^dim cells were separated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, as a minor subpopulation of the limbal epithelial cells. They were enriched for relatively small cells, showing a higher clonogenic capacity and expression of stem cell markers, but a lower expression of differentiation markers, compared to other cell populations. The cells were localized immunohistochemically in the basal region of the limbal epithelium. These results indicate that the α₆^bri/CD71^dim subpopulation enriched corneal epithelial stem cells.     

Ultrastructure of the putative stem cell niche in rat mammary epithelium

There is now strong evidence that the stem cells of many tissues reside in specialized structures termed niches. The stem cell niche functions to house and regulate symmetric and asymmetric mitosis of stem cells in mammalian skin, mouse and human bone marrow, mouse brain, gut, and hair follicle, and Drosophila ovary and testis. This regulation is effected through the action of various signaling pathways such as Notch, Hedgehog, Wnt and others. The hormones of the estrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation that initiate growth in mouse mammary epithelium appear to act at a paracrine level to regulate mitosis through Notch receptors. Previous work has established that the putative stem cells of the mammary epithelium in several animal species reside near the basement membrane and never make contact with the ductal lumen. We show that these putative stem cells are found in anatomically specialized places created by the cytoplasmic extensions and modifications of neighboring differentiated cells. Such specializations may help to regulate stem cell activity by modulating molecular traffic to putative stem cells and contact with signaling molecules in the basement membrane. The histological characteristics of these putative niches vary as to the kinds of relationships the cells can have with the basement membrane and neighboring cells and as to how many stem or progenitor cells they may contain. This suggests a plasticity that may be relevant to the response of niches to tissue demands, such as wound healing, the periodic growth and regression of mammary epithelium, the process of mammary tumorigenesis therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.