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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles Ameliorate Kidney Injury in Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy.

ABSTRACT: Limitations in the current therapeutic strategies for the prevention of progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end stage renal disease has been a drawback to improving patient recovery. It is therefore imperative that a solution is found to alleviate this problem and improve the health and well-being of patients overall. Aristolochic acid (AA) induced nephropathy, a type of nephrotoxic CKD is characterised by cortical tubular injury, inflammation, leading to interstitial fibrosis. Extracellular vesicles derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EVs) display therapeutic properties in various disease models including kidney injury. In the current study, we intended to investigate the ability of MSC-EVs on ameliorating tubular injury and interstitial fibrosis in a mouse model of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). The chronic model of AAN is comprised of an intraperitoneal injection of AA in NSG mice, followed by a three-day incubation period and then inoculation of MSC-EVs intravenously. This routine was performed on a weekly basis for four consecutive weeks, accompanied by the monitoring of body weight of all mice. Blood and tissue samples were collected post sacrifice. All animals administered with AA developed kidney injury and renal fibrosis. A gradual loss of body weight was observed, together with a deterioration in kidney function. Although no significant recovery was observed in weight loss following treatment with MSC-EVs, a significant reduction in: blood creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), tubular necrosis, and interstitial fibrosis was observed. In addition, infiltration of CD45 positive immune cells, fibroblasts, and pericytes which were elevated in the interstitium post AA induced injury, were also significantly reduced by MSC-EVs. Kidneys were also subjected to molecular analyses to evaluate the regulation of pro-fibrotic genes. MSC-EVs significantly reduced AA induction of the pro-fibrotic genes ?-Sma, Tgfb1 and Col1a1. A downregulation in pro-fibrotic genes was also observed in fibroblasts activated by AA injured mTECs in vitro. Furthermore, meta-analyses of miRNAs downregulated by MSC-EVs, such as miR21, revealed the regulation of multiple pathways involved in kidney injury including fibrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis. These results therefore suggest that MSC-EVs could play a regenerative and anti-fibrotic role in AAN through the transfer of biologically active cargo that regulates the disease both at a protein and genetic level.

SUBMITTER: Kholia S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7105599 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:With limited therapeutic intervention in preventing the progression to end-stage renal disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a global health-care burden. Aristolochic acid (AA) induced nephropathy is a model of CKD characterised by inflammation, tubular injury, and interstitial fibrosis. Human liver stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (HLSC-EVs) have been reported to exhibit therapeutic properties in various disease models including acute kidney injury. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of HLSC-EVs on tubular regeneration and interstitial fibrosis in an AA-induced mouse model of CKD. NSG mice were injected with HLSC-EVs 3 days after administering AA on a weekly basis for 4 weeks. Mice injected with AA significantly lost weight over the 4-week period. Deterioration in kidney function was also observed. Histology was performed to evaluate tubular necrosis, interstitial fibrosis, as well as infiltration of inflammatory cells/fibroblasts. Kidneys were also subjected to gene array analyses to evaluate regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and pro-fibrotic genes. The effect of HLSC-EVs was also tested in vitro to assess pro-fibrotic gene regulation in fibroblasts cocultured with AA pretreated tubular epithelial cells. Histological analyses showed that treatment with HLSC-EVs significantly reduced tubular necrosis, interstitial fibrosis, infiltration of CD45 cells and fibroblasts, which were all elevated during AA induced injury. At a molecular level, HLSC-EVs significantly inhibited the upregulation of the pro-fibrotic genes α-Sma, Tgfb1, and Col1a1 in vivo and in vitro. Fibrosis gene array analyses revealed an upregulation of 35 pro-fibrotic genes in AA injured mice. Treatment with HLSC-EVs downregulated 14 pro-fibrotic genes in total, out of which, 5 were upregulated in mice injured with AA. Analyses of the total mouse miRnome identified several miRNAs involved in the regulation of fibrotic pathways, which were found to be modulated post-treatment with HLSC-EVs. These results indicate that HLSC-EVs play a regenerative role in CKD possibly through the regulation of genes and miRNAs that are activated during the progression of the disease.

Project description:BackgroundSpinal cord injury (SCI) is an inflammatory condition, and excessive adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released into the extracellular space, which can be catabolized into adenosine by CD73. Extracellular vesicles have been designed as nano drug carriers in many diseases. However, their impacts on delivery of CD73 after SCI are not yet known. We aimed to construct CD73 modified extracellular vesicles and explore the anti-inflammatory effects after SCI.MethodsCD73 engineered extracellular vesicles (CD73+ hucMSC-EVs) were firstly established, which were derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) transduced by lentiviral vectors to upregulate the expression of CD73. Effects of CD73+ hucMSC-EVs on hydrolyzing ATP into adenosine were detected. The polarization of M2/M1 was verified by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, A2aR and A2bR inhibitors and A2bR knockdown cells were used to investigate the activated adenosine receptor. Biomarkers of microglia and levels of cAMP/PKA were also detected. Repetitively in vivo study, morphology staining, flow cytometry, cytokine analysis, and ELISA assay, were also applied for verifications.ResultsCD73+ hucMSC-EVs reduced concentration of ATP and promoted the level of adenosine. In vitro experiments, CD73+ hucMSC-EVs increased macrophages/microglia M2:M1 polarization, activated adenosine 2b receptor (A2bR), and then promoted cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. In mice using model of thoracic spinal cord contusion injury, CD73+ hucMSC-EVs improved the functional recovery after SCI through decreasing the content of ATP in cerebrospinal fluid and improving the polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype. Thus, the cascaded pro-inflammatory cytokines were downregulated, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while the anti-inflammatory cytokines were upregulated, such as IL-10 and IL-4.ConclusionsCD73+ hucMSC-EVs ameliorated inflammation after spinal cord injury by reducing extracellular ATP, promoting A2bR/cAMP/PKA pathway and M2/M1 polarization. CD73+ hucMSC-EVs might be promising nano drugs for clinical application in SCI therapy.

Project description:BackgroundThere are no approved drug treatments for liver fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced stage of fibrosis which has rapidly become a major cause of cirrhosis. Therefore, development of anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic therapies is desired. Mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) based therapy, which has been extensively investigated in regenerative medicine for various organs, can reportedly achieve therapeutic effect in NASH via paracrine action. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) encompass a variety of vesicles released by cells that fulfill functions similar to those of MSCs. We herein investigated the therapeutic effects of EVs from amnion-derived MSCs (AMSCs) in rats with NASH and liver fibrosis.MethodsNASH was induced by a 4-week high-fat diet (HFD), and liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 2?mL/kg 50% carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) twice a week for six weeks. AMSC-EVs were intravenously injected at weeks 3 and 4 in rats with NASH (15??g/kg) and at week 3 in rats with liver fibrosis (20??g/kg). The extent of inflammation and fibrosis was evaluated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The effect of AMSC-EVs on inflammatory and fibrogenic response was investigated in vitro.ResultsAMSC-EVs significantly decreased the number of Kupffer cells (KCs) in the liver of rats with NASH and the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor- (Tnf-) ?, interleukin- (Il-) 1? and Il-6, and transforming growth factor- (Tgf-) ?. Furthermore, AMSC-EVs significantly decreased fiber accumulation, KC number, and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in rats with liver fibrosis. In vitro, AMSC-EVs significantly inhibited KC and HSC activation and suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway.ConclusionsAMSC-EVs ameliorated inflammation and fibrogenesis in a rat model of NASH and liver fibrosis, potentially by attenuating HSC and KC activation. AMSC-EV administration should be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for chronic liver disease.

Project description:ObjectiveSmall extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play important roles in cardiac protection. Studies have shown that the cardiovascular protection of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) is independent of its hypoglycemic effect. This study is aimed at investigating whether small extracellular vesicles derived from MSCs pretreated with empagliflozin (EMPA) has a stronger cardioprotective function after myocardial infarction (MI) and to explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods and resultsWe evaluated the effects of EMPA on MSCs and the effects of EMPA-pretreated MSCs-derived small extracellular vesicles (EMPA-sEV) on myocardial apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cardiac function after MI in vitro and in vivo. The small extracellular vesicles of control MSCs (MSC-sEV) and EMPA-pretreated MSCs were extracted, respectively. Small extracellular vesicles were cocultured with apoptotic H9c2 cells induced by H2O2 or injected into the infarcted area of the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat myocardial infarction model. EMPA increased the cell viability, migration ability, and inhibited apoptosis and senescence of MSCs. In vitro, EMPA-sEV inhibited apoptosis of H9c2 cells compared with the control group (MSC-sEV). In the SD rat model of MI, EMPA-sEV inhibited myocardial apoptosis and promoted angiogenesis in the infarct marginal areas compared with the MSC-sEV. Meanwhile, EMPA-sEV reduced infarct size and improved cardiac function. Through small extracellular vesicles (miRNA) sequencing, we found several differentially expressed miRNAs, among which miR-214-3p was significantly elevated in EMPA-sEV. Coculture of miR-214-3p high expression MSC-derived small extracellular vesicles with H9c2 cells produced similar protective effects. In addition, miR-214-3p was found to promote AKT phosphorylation in H9c2 cells.ConclusionsOur data suggest that EMPA-sEV significantly improve cardiac repair after MI by inhibiting myocardial apoptosis. miR-214-3p at least partially mediated the myocardial protection of EMPA-sEV through the AKT signaling pathway.

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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles Ameliorate Kidney Injury in Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy.

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