CD146 expression on mesenchymal stem cells is associated with their vascular smooth muscle commitment

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are plastic adherent cells that can differentiate into various tissue lineages, including osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes. However, this progenitor property is not shared by all cells within the MSC population. In addition, MSCs vary in their proliferation capacity and expression of markers. Because of heterogeneity of CD146 expression in the MSC population, we compared CD146^−/Low and CD146^High cells under clonal conditions and after sorting of the non-clonal cell population to determine whether this expression is associated with specific functions. CD146^−/Low and CD146^High bone marrow MSCs did not differ in colony-forming unit-fibroblast number, osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation or in vitro haematopoietic-supportive activity. However, CD146^−/Low clones proliferated slightly but significantly faster than did CD146^High clones. In addition, a strong expression of CD146 molecule was associated with a commitment to a vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) lineage characterized by a strong up-regulation of calponin-1 and SM22α expression and an ability to contract collagen matrix. Thus, within a bone marrow MSC population, certain subpopulations characterized by high expression of CD146, are committed towards a VSMC lineage.     

DNA microarray analysis of human gingival fibroblasts from healthy and inflammatory gingival tissues

In the inflammatory gingival tissues of patients with periodontitis, cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha have been detected. Gingival fibroblasts are the major constituents of gingival tissue. We recently demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from periodontopathic bacteria induces inflammatory reactions in various tissues via CD14 and/or Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in gingival tissues [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 273 (2000) 1161]. To confirm this, we examined the expression of IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, CD14, TLR2, and TLR4 in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) obtained from patients with healthy or inflammatory gingiva using DNA microarray analysis. We also studied the expression levels of these proteins by flow cytometric analysis (FACS). The expression levels of all eight genes in the HGFs of the Inflammatory group were significantly higher than those in the Healthy group on DNA microarray analysis. FACS revealed that the expression levels of all eight proteins on the HGFs of the Inflammatory group were higher than those on the Healthy group. Our data indicated that these eight proteins in HGFs are involved in inflammatory conditions in the gingiva, including periodontal disease. Our results suggested that these eight proteins, in turn, act directly or indirectly on the immune response by activating host cells involved in inflammatory processes.     

脐带间充质干细胞——组织工程的新视角

目的 从脐带中分离培养脐带间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cell, MSC) 并进行鉴定,阐明其多向分化的潜在作用.方法 收集健康胎儿脐带,分离培养脐带中的间充质干细胞,以流式细胞仪对培养的间充质干细胞进行细胞表面标志检测,多种成分联合诱导其向脂肪、成骨方向分化,细胞化学染色检测诱导后的细胞变化.结果 脐带中分离培养的间充质干细胞不表达造血细胞系的标志CD34、CD45、HLA-DR,强表达CD105、CD44、CD90,在适当的诱导条件下可向脂肪及成骨方向分化.结论 脐带中存在具有多向分化潜能的间充质干细胞.     

Cell expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in co-cultures of human gingival fibroblasts and monocytes: the involvement of ICAM-1

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) plays an important role in the degradation of collagen in inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular expression of MMP-1 and its inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), in gingival fibroblasts co-cultured with monocytes and the possible mediating role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). In co-cultures, the expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 increased in fibroblasts, but not in monocytes, although the number of MMP-1+ and TIMP-1+ adhered monocytes increased. Moreover, ICAM-1 expression in both fibroblasts and adhered monocytes increased. In the presence of an anti-ICAM-1 antibody, the expression of MMP-1 in fibroblasts decreased whereas the number of TIMP-1+ adhered monocytes increased. The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 reduced MMP-1 expression in fibroblasts, as well as ICAM-1 expression in both fibroblasts and adhered monocytes. The results suggest that co-culture with monocytes enhances cellular expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in gingival fibroblasts, and that the increased MMP-1 expression, in contrast to TIMP-1, is partly mediated by the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and the p38 MAPK signal pathway.     

妊娠组织中CD146和HGF的表达与稽留流产的相关性分析

目的:分析妊娠组织中CD146和肝细胞生长因子(Hepatocyte growth factor,HGF)的表达与稽留流产的相关性,探讨CD146、HGF在妊娠早期的潜在作用,为早期预防稽留流产的发生提供新的思路。方法:收集2019年7月至2019年12月于我院门诊行人工流产的病例,选取妊娠时间59周,年龄1835岁,近三个月未服用激素类药物,且无子宫肌瘤、子宫内膜病变、全身免疫性疾病、内分泌疾病的病例,分为稽留流产组40例;正常妊娠组50例。分析两组资料的差异性,通过免疫组化法检测两组蜕膜组织中CD146和HGF的表达情况并分析CD146和HGF的异常表达与稽留流产是否具有相关性。结果:CD146和HGF在稽留流产组和正常早孕组蜕膜组织中均有表达;稽留流产组蜕膜组织中CD146、HGF的表达均较正常妊娠组显著降低(P<0.05);CD146和HGF的表达呈正相关性(r>0,P<0.05);CD146和HGF的异常表达与稽留流产具有相关性。结论:稽留流产患者蜕膜组织中CD146和HGF的表达均下降,可能与稽留流产的发生有关,但CD146和HGF的表达下调参与稽留流产的发生机制尚不十分明确,需进一步探讨。妊娠组织中CD146和HGF的表达可能具有正相关性。CD146和HGF可能作为稽留流产在母胎界面方向研究的新的靶点,二者在妊娠过程中可能具有正相关性,尚需实验进一步验证。     

Pharmacological properties of angiotensin II receptors in cultured rabbit gingival fibroblasts

Certain interspecific hybrids of the fish Xiphophorus spontaneously develop melanoma induced by the derepression of the Xmrk oncogene. Xmrk is a recent duplicate of an orthologue of the mammalian epidermal growth factor receptor gene Egfr. In addition to a specific overexpression in melanoma, amino-acid substitutions in the extracellular domain leading to ligand-independent dimerisation and constitutive autophosphorylation are responsible for the tumorigenic potential of Xmrk. The Xmrk receptor induces several signal transduction pathways mediating cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis and initiating dedifferentiation. Moreover, Xmrk upregulates the expression of the secreted protein osteopontin, inducing an autocrine loop possibly allowing invasion and survival in the dermis as a first step in malignancy. Hence, Xmrk is able to induce pathways essential for a transformed phenotype. Some of these events are equivalent to those found downstream of the mammalian Egfr, but others have clearly evolved differently or are specific for pigment cells. Xmrk is potentially hazardous, nonessential and located in a very unstable genomic region. Nevertheless, Xmrk has been maintained under purifying selection in divergent Xiphophorus species. Hence, Xmrk has probably a beneficial function under certain conditions. The analysis of this function is a major challenge for future research in the Xiphophorus model.     

Impaired tumor angiogenesis and VEG-Finduced pathway in endothelial CD146 knockout mice

CD146 is a newly identified endothelial biomarker that has been implicated in angiogenesis. Though in vitro angiogenic function of CD146 has been extensively reported, in vivo evidence is still lacking. To address this issue, we generated endothelial-specific CD146 knockout (CD146^EC-KO) mice using the Tg(Tek-cre) system. Surprisingly, these mice did not exhibit any apparent morphological defects in the development of normal retinal vasculature. To evaluate the role of CD146 in pathological angiogenesis, a xenograft tumor model was used. We found that both tumor volume and vascular density were significantly lower in CD146^EC-KO mice when compared to WT littermates. Additionally, the ability for sprouting, migration and tube formation in response to VEGF treatmentwas impairedinendothelial cells (ECs) of CD146^EC-KO mice. Mechanistic studies further confirmed that VEGFinduced VEGFR-2 phosphorylation and AKT/p38 MAPKs/ NF-κB activation were inhibited in these CD146-null ECs, whichmight present theunderlyingcause for theobserved inhibition of tumor angiogenesis in CD146^EC-KO mice. These results suggest thatCD146 plays a redundant role in physiological angiogenic processes, but becomes essential during pathological angiogenesis as observed in tumorigenesis.     

Isolation and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells from caprine umbilical cord tissue matrix

Cord tissue fills the umbilical cord around the blood vessels and contains types of stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs) that are not generally found in cord blood. MSCs are the stem cells that give rise to many of the “support tissues” in the body, including bone, cartilage, fat and muscle. Umbilical Cord Tissue cells (UCTs) possessing the capacity to differentiate into various cell types such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes have been previously isolated from different species including human, canine, murine, avian species etc. The present study documents the existence of similar multipotential stem cells in caprine UCTs having similar growth and morphological characteristics. The cells were isolated from caprine umbilical cord and cultivated in DMEM (low glucose) supplemented with 15% FBS, L-glutamine and antibiotics. Primary culture achieved confluence in 5–7 days having spindle shaped morphology. The cells were morphologically homogeneous, showed robust proliferation ability with a population doubled time of 92.07 h as well as normal karyotype. In vitro self-renewal capacity was demonstrated by colony-forming unit assay (CFU). The cells expressed MSC specific markers and showed multi-differentiation capability into adipogenic and osteogeneic. The results indicated that caprine UCTs (cUCTs) were isolated and characterized from umbilical cord tissue which can be used for tissue regeneration.     

Knockdown of CD146 reduces the migration and proliferation of human endothelial cells

Our previous study has demonstrated that CD 146 molecule is a biomarker on vascular endothelium,which is involvedin angiogenesis and tumor growth.However the mechanism behind is not clear.Here we have for the first time devel-oped a novel CD146 blockade system using CD146 siRNA to study its function on endothelial cells.Our data showedthat CD146 siRNA specifically blocked the expression of CD146 on both mRNA and protein levels,leading to thesignificant suppression of HUVEC proliferation,adhesion and migration.These results demonstrate that CD146 playsa key role in vascular endothelial cell activity and angiogenesis,and CD146 siRNA can be used as a new inhibitor foranti-angiogenesis therapy.     

Murine CD146 is widely expressed on endothelial cells and is recognized by the monoclonal antibody ME-9F1

The endothelium plays an important role in the exchange of molecules, but also of immune cells between blood and the underlying tissue. The endothelial molecule S-Endo 1 antigen (CD146) is preferentially located at endothelial junctions and has been claimed to support endothelial integrity. In this study we show that the monoclonal antibody ME-9F1 recognizes the extracellular portion of murine CD146. Making use of ME-9F1 we found CD146 highly expressed and widely spread on endothelial cells in the analyzed murine tissues. In contrast to humans that express CD146 also on T cells or follicular dendritic cells, murine CD146 albeit at low levels was only found on a subset of NK1.1⁺ cells. The antibody against murine CD146 is useful for immunomagnetic sorting of primary endothelial cells not only from the liver but from various other organs. In vitro, no evidence was seen that the formation and integrity of endothelial monolayers or the transendothelial migration of T cells was affected by antibody binding to CD146 or by crosslinking of the antigen. This makes the antibody ME-9F1 an excellent tool especially for the ex vivo isolation of murine endothelial cells intended to be used in functional studies.     

Effect of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 on Toll-like receptors 2-, 3- and 4-triggered expression of IL-6, IL-8 and CXCL10 in human gingival fibroblasts

The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is known to have a potent LPS-neutralizing activity in monocytes and macrophages. Recently, LL-37 in gingival crevicular fluids is suggested to be the major protective factor preventing infection of periodontogenic pathogens. In this study, we tried to address the effect of LL-37 on proinflammatory responses of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) stimulated with Toll-like receptor (TLR)-stimulant microbial compounds. LL-37 potently suppressed LPS-induced gene expression of IL6, IL8 and CXCL10 and intracellular signaling events, degradation of IRAK-1 and IκBα and phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and IRF3, indicating that the LPS-neutralizing activity is also exerted in HGFs. LL-37 also suppressed the expression of IL6, IL8 and CXCL10 induced by the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C). LL-37 modestly attenuated the expression of IL6 and IL8 induced by the TLR2/TLR1 ligand Pam₃CSK₄, but did not affect the expression induced by the TLR2/TLR6 ligand MALP-2. Interestingly, LL-37 rather upregulated the expression of IL6, IL8 and CXCL10 induced by another TLR2/TLR6 ligand FSL-1. Thus, the regulatory effect of LL-37 is differently exerted towards proinflammatory responses of HGFs induced by different microbial stimuli, which may lead to unbalanced proinflammatory responses of the gingival tissue to infection of oral microbes.     

CD146 acts as a novel receptor for netrin-1 in promoting angiogenesis and vascular development

Angiogenesis, a process that newly-formed blood vessels sprout from pre-existing ones, is vital for vertebrate development and adult homeostasis. Previous studies have demonstrated that the neuronal guidance molecule netrin-1 participates in angiogenesis and morphogenesis of the vascular system. Netrin-1 exhibits dual activities in angiogenesis: either promoting or inhibiting angiogenesis. The anti-angiogenic activity of netrin-1 is mediated by UNC5B receptor. However, how netrin-1 promotes angiogenesis remained unclear. Here we report that CD146, an endothelial transmembrane protein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a receptor for netrin-1. Netrin-1 binds to CD146 with high affinity, inducing endothelial cell activation and downstream signaling in a CD146-dependent manner. Conditional knockout of the cd146 gene in the murine endothelium or disruption of netrin-CD146 interaction by a specific anti-CD146 antibody blocks or reduces netrin-1-induced angiogenesis. In zebrafish embryos, downregulating either netrin-1a or CD146 results in vascular defects with striking similarity. Moreover, knocking down CD146 blocks ectopic vascular sprouting induced by netrin-1 overexpression. Together, our data uncover CD146 as a previously unknown receptor for netrin-1 and also reveal a functional ligand for CD146 in angiogenesis, demonstrating the involvement of netrin-CD146 signaling in angiogenesis during vertebrate development.     

东方田鼠皮肤成纤维细胞的分离培养及生物学特性

目的探索和建立东方田鼠皮肤成纤维细胞体外分离、培养的技术方法并观察其生物学特性。方法采用含10%小牛血清的Dulbecco改良Eagle培养液(DMEM)和1640两种培养体系,运用组织块贴壁法和胰酶消化法,分别对出生后1、3 d和5 d的东方田鼠乳鼠皮肤成纤维细胞进行原代分离、培养。苏木素-伊红染色及倒置相差显微镜下观察成纤维细胞形态和生长特性。结果 0.25%胰酶消化分离出生后1 d和3 d东方田鼠乳鼠皮肤较出生后5 d组织可获得较多数量细胞,成纤维细胞在体外快速贴壁生长,一般6～7 d长满培养瓶,细胞纯度高,HE染色细胞呈长梭形,胞核明显;DMEM和1640两种培养液均可用于东方田鼠皮肤成纤维细胞的培养,但细胞传代后生长趋缓,只可传代2～3次。本实验运用组织块贴壁法未能培养出皮肤成纤维细胞。结论确定了有效分离东方田鼠皮肤成纤维细胞的日龄和方法,为进一步深入研究提供了技术方法和操作依据。     

胎儿肺脏来源间充质干细胞的鉴定与损伤修复的实验研究

目的 :为研究胎儿肺脏来源间充质干细胞的生物学性状 ,表型和多向分化能力。方法 :取胎龄为 4～ 5个月水囊引产胎儿 ,将肺脏细胞在SF(含 2 %FBS)培养基中培养。测定生长曲线、利用流式细胞仪对培养细胞进行表型测定 ,细胞周期分析 ,体外诱导分化实验。NOD SCID鼠放射损伤后 ,尾静脉输入经PKH2 6染色的间充质干细胞 ,两个月后检测外源细胞在肺脏的定植情况。结果 :从胎儿肺脏可培养出间充质干细胞 ,并可诱导成骨、软骨和脂肪细胞分化 ;移植两个月后可以检测到外源细胞在肺脏的定植。结论 :从胎儿肺脏可分离培养出间充质干细胞 ,在体外有效扩增且保持其低分化状态 ;间充质干细胞可以在肺脏长时间定植。     

Selection using the alpha-1 integrin (CD49a) enhances the multipotentiality of the mesenchymal stem cell population from heterogeneous bone marrow stromal cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells consist of a developmentally heterogeneous population of cells obtained from colony forming progenitors. As these colonies express the alpha-1 integrin (CD49a), here we single-cell FACS sorted CD49a+ cells from bone marrow in order to create clones and then compared their colony forming efficiency and multilineage differentiation capacity to the unsorted cells. Following selection, 40% of the sorted CD49a+ cells formed colonies, whereas parental cells failed to form colonies following limited dilution plating at 1 cell/well. Following ex vivo expansion, clones shared a similar morphology to the parental cell line, and also demonstrated enhanced proliferation. Further analysis by flow cytometry using a panel of multilineage markers demonstrated that the CD49a+ clones had enhanced expression of CD90 and CD105 compared to unsorted cells. Culturing cells in adipogenic, osteogenic or chondrogenic medium for 7, 10 and 15 days respectively and then analysing them by quantitative PCR demonstrated that CD49a+ clones readily underwent multlineage differentiation into fat, bone and cartilage compared to unsorted cells. These results thus support the use of CD49a selection for the enrichment of mesenchymal stem cells, and describes a strategy for selecting the most multipotential cells from a heterogeneous pool of bone marrow mononuclear stem cells.     

Persistence of CD34 Stem Marker in Human Lipoma: Searching for Cancer Stem Cells

Background: Lipomas are benign solid tumours that develop in soft tissues with origin in mesenchymal progenitors. Macroscopically, they appear as soft-elastic nodules, varying in volume from a few millimiters to several centimetres and can enlarge progressively. Although they are usually asymptomatic, they can cause symptoms due to nerve or vessel compression. Microscopically they appear as fibrous connective tissue stroma with embedded adipocytes, and absence of inflammation. Up to now no characterisation of stem cell population present in this tissue has been performed.Methods: Cytofluorimetric, biological and molecular biology analyses have been performed in order to test superficial cell markers and gene expression profile related to stemness and apoptotic activity of cells present in lipoma tissues compared to those of adipose tissue''s cells.Results: Our results confirmed that CD34⁺ cells in lipoma were present around small adipocytes, showing several altered biological activity such as proliferation, apoptotis and stemness.Conclusions: The data emerging from the comparison of the lipoma cells and normal adipose tissue, suggests the presence of cell precursors involved in the development of the lipoma. This hypothesis requires further investigation and may indicate new thresholds in the study of benign tumour pathogenesis.     

Towards understanding the mode of action of the multifaceted cell adhesion receptor CD146

CD146, also known as melanoma cell adhesion molecule or MCAM, is a key cell adhesion protein in vascular endothelial cell activity and angiogenesis. CD146 promotes tumor progression of many cancers including melanoma and prostate. Strikingly, its expression is frequently lost in breast carcinoma cells, and it may act as a suppressor of breast cancer progression. While upstream mechanisms regulating CD146 are well documented, our understanding of the downstream molecular events underlying its mode of action remains to be elucidated. This review aims to focus on the progress in understanding the signaling mechanisms and the functional relevance of CD146, a multifaceted molecule, in cancer with particular emphasis on its role in inhibiting breast cancer progression.