Real-time effect of adipose stem cells on fibrogenesis of dermal fibroblast co-stimulated by transforming growth factor-β1 / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

ABSTRACT

Objective • To mainly explore the real-time effect of adipose stem cells (ASCs) on the fibrogenesis of dermal fibroblasts co-stimulated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and further clarify the possible pathway and mechanism of ASCs in regulating wound repair. Methods • By using two different real-time culture systems including Transwell system and contact co-culture system, events associated with fibrogenesis including the changes of fibroblast cell number or expression of collagen types and III detected by immunofluorescence or Western blotting in dermal fibroblasts at 72 h with/without the stimulation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and/or ASCs were studied. Results • In Transwell system, the cell number of fibroblasts was significantly decreased under the stimulation of ASCs and TGF-β1, compared with TGF-β1 only group (P=0.035). In contact co-culture system, under the stimulation of TGF-β1, the numbers of fluorescence labeling fibroblasts in group with ASCs as basal cells were decreased, compared with group with fibroblast as basal cells (P=0.000). In terms of the collagen expression, in Transwell system, the amounts of collagen secretion from fibroblasts within the upper chamber were increased dramatically when fibroblasts were being co-cultured with ASCs (P=0.000). In contact co-culture system, under the stimulation of TGF-β1, the amounts of collagen secretion in the supernatant of cell culture in the group with ASCs as basal cells were increased, compared with the group with fibroblast as basal cells (P=0.000). Conclusion • ASCs may have an effect on fibrogenesis of dermal fibroblasts co-stimulated by TGF-β1 through a paracrine and direct contact way. It not only increases collagen production and secretion, but also inhibits fibroblasts over-proliferation.