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Published on: April 12, 2015
Lycopene protects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells against ischemia-induced apoptosis in vitro
1Department of Orthopaedic, Fengxian Center Hospital of the Sixth Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai, China. linxiangjin803@126.com.
Objective:
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified to have the potential to differentiate into multiple types of cells. And the therapy based on transplantation of MSCs in some solid organs has been suggested in recent years. However, the rejection reaction often occurs in the transplantation of MSCs and could induce cell death. Ischemia has been reported to one of the main causes of MSCs death during transplantation. The primary objective of this study was to verify whether a natural antioxidant, lycopene, could protect MSCs from ischemia-induced apoptosis in vitro.
Materials And Methods:
MSCs were isolated from bone marrow in mice femoral bone marrow. The effect of lycopene on MSCs during oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation was investigated.
Results:
We found that lycopene protected MSCs from serum deprivation- and hypoxia-induced apoptosis. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and inducible nitric oxide synthetase expression were also inhibited dose-dependently by lycopene. Further investigation revealed that lycopene could activate phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt. Pretreatment with PI3K/Akt inhibitors prevented the protective effect of lycopene on MSCs.
Conclusions:
Lycopene could protect MSCs from ischemia-induced apoptosis through reducing ROS generation; therefore, lycopene could be useful in MSC transplantation.
Insights
Lycopene, a natural antioxidant, protects mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from ischemia-induced cell death. This finding suggests lycopene could improve MSC transplantation success by reducing apoptosis.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Regenerative medicine
- Antioxidant research
Background:
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer therapeutic potential but face rejection and ischemia-induced cell death post-transplantation.
- Ischemia is a primary cause of MSC death, limiting the efficacy of MSC-based therapies.
- Natural antioxidants are being explored to enhance MSC survival during transplantation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of lycopene against ischemia-induced apoptosis in bone marrow-derived MSCs in vitro.
- To determine if lycopene can mitigate cell death caused by oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation in MSCs.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of MSCs from mouse bone marrow.
- Exposure of MSCs to oxygen-glucose-serum deprivation with and without lycopene treatment.
- Assessment of apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression.
- Investigation of the involvement of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway.
Main Results:
- Lycopene significantly protected MSCs from apoptosis induced by serum deprivation and hypoxia.
- Lycopene dose-dependently inhibited ROS generation and iNOS expression.
- Lycopene activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which was essential for its protective effects.
Conclusions:
- Lycopene confers protection to MSCs against ischemia-induced apoptosis by reducing ROS generation.
- The PI3K/Akt pathway mediates the protective effects of lycopene on MSCs.
- Lycopene demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent to improve MSC transplantation outcomes.
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