The cardioprotective effect of mesenchymal stem cells is mediated by IGF-I and VEGF

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 363; no. 3; pp. 674 - 679
• Main Authors: Sadat, Sanga, Gehmert, Sebastian, Song, Yao-Hua, Yen, Yasheng, Bai, Xiaowen, Gaiser, Sebastian, Klein, Helmut, Alt, Eckhard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 23.11.2007
• Subjects: Adipose tissue-derived stem cells; Angiogenesis; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis - physiology; Cardiomyocytes; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell Survival - physiology; Cell therapy; Cells, Cultured; Coculture Techniques; Cytokines; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Endothelial Cells - physiology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - genetics; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - pharmacology; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - secretion; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Myocytes, Cardiac - cytology; Myocytes, Cardiac - drug effects; Myocytes, Cardiac - physiology; Neovascularization, Physiologic - drug effects; Neovascularization, Physiologic - physiology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Small Interfering - genetics; Transfection; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - genetics; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - pharmacology; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - secretion; Angiogenesis; Cardiomyocytes; Cell therapy; Cytokines; Adipose tissue-derived stem cells; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.09.058

Emerging evidence suggests that adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) can be used for the treatment of ischemic heart diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects have not been clearly defined. In this study cytokines released by ASCs were detected by ELISA and pro-angiogenic effects were assessed by tube formation assay. To define the anti-apoptotic effect of ASCs, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to hypoxia condition in a co-culture system. Our data show that ASCs secrete significant amounts of VEGF (810.65 ± 56.92 pg/μg DNA) and IGF-I (328.33 ± 22.7 pg/μg DNA). Cardiomyocytes apoptosis was significantly prevented by ASCs and 62.5% of the anti-apoptotic effect was mediated by IGF-I and 34.2% by VEGF. ASCs promoted endothelial cell tube formation by secreting VEGF. In conclusion we demonstrated that ASCs have a marked impact on anti-apoptosis and angiogenesis and helps to explain data of stem cells benefit without transdifferentiation.