Transforming growth factor-beta 1 or ascorbic acid are able to differentiate Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells towards a smooth muscle phenotype
Issue title: Selected papers from the 6th China–France International Symposium “Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine” and the first meeting of the France–China International CNRS Network (GDRI) CeSMeR, Nancy, 10–13 July 2016
Guest editors: J.-F. Stoltz, J. Magdalou and D. Bensoussan
Affiliations: [a] UMR 7365, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Ingénierie Moléculaire et Physiopathologie Articulaire (IMoPA), Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54505, France | [b] Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, 54000, France
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Patrick Menu, UMR 7365, CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Ingénierie Moléculaire et Physiopathologie Articulaire (IMoPA), Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54505, France. Tel.: 33 3 72 74 65 45; Fax: +33 3 72 74 65 87; E-mail: patrick.menu@univ-lorraine.fr.
Note: [*] Both authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are widely used in tissue engineering. In vascular engineering, the ability to obtain a vessel replacement with contractile smooth muscle cells (SMC) is a key factor. In this work, we demonstrated that WJ-MSCs differentiate towards a SMC phenotype with various stimulations in vitro and that the modification of redox state could be involved. WJ-MSCs were isolated from umbilical cords. After their expansion, the cells were stimulated with ascorbic acid (AA, 300 μM) or transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (1 to 5 ng/mL). SMC markers were analyzed by Western blot. Modification of redox state was evaluated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and glutathione (GSH) content measurements. TGF-β1 or AA-stimulated WJ-MSCs express early and intermediate SMC markers. TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL) modifies the redox state by a ROS production and a GSH content drop, while AA has no effect. This work showed that TGF-β1 and AA are effective SMC phenotype inducers to differentiate WJ-MSCs.
