Human mesenchymal stem cells are sensitive to abnormal gravity and exhibit classic apoptotic features

• Published in: Acta biochimica et biophysica Sinica Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 133 - 142
• Main Authors: Meng, Rui, Xu, Hui-yun, Di, Sheng-meng, Shi, Dong-yan, Qian, Ai-rong, Wang, Jin-fu, Shang, Peng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China 01.02.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Apoptosis - drug effects; Benzothiazoles - pharmacology; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Caspase 7 - metabolism; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Cytoskeleton - metabolism; Electromagnetic Fields - adverse effects; Gravitation; Humans; Hypergravity - adverse effects; Hypogravity - adverse effects; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - drug effects; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Stress Fibers - metabolism; Toluene - analogs & derivatives; Toluene - pharmacology; Tubulin - metabolism; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - drug effects; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism; 异常特征; 形态特征; 细胞凋亡; 重力异常; 重力水; 间质干细胞
• ISSN: 1672-9145; 1745-7270; 1745-7270
• DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmq121

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of abnormal gravity on human mesenchymal stem cells （hMSCs）. Strong magnetic field and magnetic field gradient generate a magnetic force that can add to or subtract from the gravitational force. In this study, this is defined as a high-magneto-gravitational environment （HMGE）. The HMGE provides three apparent gravity levels, i.e. hypogravity （μg）, hypergravity （2g） and normal gravity with strong magnetic field （1g） conditions. After hMSCs were subject to HMGE for 12 h, the proliferation, morphology, structure and apoptosis were investigated. Results showed that the proliferation of hMSCs was inhibited under μg condition. The abnormal gravity induced morphologic characteristics of apoptosis cells, such as cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, nuclear chromatin con- densation and margination, decreased cell viability, and increased caspase-3/7 activity. The rate of apoptosis under μg condition is up to 56.95%. The F-actin stress fibers and microtubules were disrupted under abnormal gravity condition. Under μg-condition, the expression of p53 at mRNA and protein levels was up-regulated more than 9- and 6 folds, respectively. The Pifithrin-α, an specific inhibitor of p53, inhibited the apoptosis and prevented the disruption of cytoskeleton induced by abnormal gravity. These results implied that hMSCs were sensitive to abnormal gravity and exhibited classic apoptotic features, which might be associated with p53 signaling.