RESUMEN
To investigate the effects of hypoxia on the apoptosis and glucose intake of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), MSCs derived from bone marrow of rats were incubated in the atmosphere of 1% O(2) for a series of time points and their glucose-intaking capacity, ultrastructural changes and apoptotic proportions were analyzed by (3)H-labeling assay, electron microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. The results showed that the cultured cells took the fibroblast-like morphology and could be induced into osteoblasts and adipocytes under appropriate conditions. The proportions of apoptotic cells after hypoxia treatment for 1, 4 and 8 hours were 13.7 +/- 2.26%, 14.1 +/- 2.78% and 14.7 +/- 4.01%, respectively, all of which were significantly higher than that observed in normoxic counterparts (0.09 +/- 2.03%, p < 0.05). Also, cell death occurred after hypoxia treatment and the death rates were 3.11 +/- 2.14%, 4.72 +/- 2.05% and 4.91 +/- 3.72% for 1, 4 and 8 hours incubation respectively. Under hypoxia culture in vitro, cell membrane microvillus began to fall off and the mitochondrias became swelling at 1 hour, and the above changes increasingly aggravated along with hypoxia time prolongation. The (3)H-glucose intaking ratios of MSCs at different hypoxia time points significantly decreased than those in normoxic cells (p < 0.01). It is concluded that the acute hypoxia can induce down-regulation of glucose-intaking capacity, ultrastructural changes and apoptosis of MSCs.