Flow cytometry analysis of adrenoceptors expression in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) were identified in most tissues of an adult organism. MSCs mediate physiological renewal, as well as regulation of tissue homeostasis, reparation and regeneration. Functions of MSCs are regulated by endocrine and neuronal signals, and noradrenaline is one of the most important MSC regulators. We provided flow cytometry analysis of expression of adrenergic receptors on the surface of human MSCs isolated from ten different donors. We have found that the expression profile of adrenergic receptors in MSCs vary significantly between donors. We also showed that alpha1A-adrenoceptor expression is upregulated under the action of noradrenaline. We share our flow cytometry raw data, as well as processing of these data on a flow cytometry repository for freely downloading.

Activation of ß-adrenergic receptors is required for elevated α1A-adrenoreceptors expression and signaling in mesenchymal stromal cells.

Sympathetic neurons are important components of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) niche and noradrenaline regulates biological activities of these cells. Here we examined the mechanisms of regulation of MSCs responsiveness to noradrenaline. Using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that α1A adrenergic receptors isoform was the most abundant in adipose tissue-derived MSCs. Using calcium imaging in single cells, we demonstrated that only 6.9 ± 0.8% of MSCs responded to noradrenaline by intracellular calcium release. Noradrenaline increases MSCs sensitivity to catecholamines in a transitory mode. Within 6 hrs after incubation with noradrenaline the proportion of cells responding by Ca(2+) release to the fresh noradrenaline addition has doubled but declined to the baseline after 24 hrs. Increased sensitivity was due to the elevated quantities of α1A-adrenergic receptors on MSCs. Such elevation depended on the stimulation of ß-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase activation. The data for the first time clarify mechanisms of regulation of MSCs sensitivity to noradrenaline.

Functional expression of adrenoreceptors in mesenchymal stromal cells derived from the human adipose tissue.

Cultured mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from different sources represent a heterogeneous population of proliferating non-differentiated cells that contains multipotent stem cells capable of originating a variety of mesenchymal cell lineages. Despite tremendous progress in MSC biology spurred by their therapeutic potential, current knowledge on receptor and signaling systems of MSCs is mediocre. Here we isolated MSCs from the human adipose tissue and assayed their responsivity to GPCR agonists with Ca(2+) imaging. As a whole, a MSC population exhibited functional heterogeneity. Although a variety of first messengers was capable of stimulating Ca(2+) signaling in MSCs, only a relatively small group of cells was specifically responsive to the particular GPCR agonist, including noradrenaline. RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry revealed expression of α1B-, α2A-, and ß2-adrenoreceptors in MSCs. Their sensitivity to subtype-specific adrenergic agonists/antagonists and certain inhibitors of Ca(2+) signaling indicated that largely the α2A-isoform coupled to PLC endowed MSCs with sensitivity to noradrenaline. The all-or-nothing dose-dependence was characteristic of responsivity of robust adrenergic MSCs. Noradrenaline never elicited small or intermediate responses but initiated large and quite similar Ca(2+) transients at all concentrations above the threshold. The inhibitory analysis and Ca(2+) uncaging implicated Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release (CICR) in shaping Ca(2+) signals elicited by noradrenaline. Evidence favored IP3 receptors as predominantly responsible for CICR. Based on the overall findings, we inferred that adrenergic transduction in MSCs includes two fundamentally different stages: noradrenaline initially triggers a local and relatively small Ca(2+) signal, which next stimulates CICR, thereby being converted into a global Ca(2+) signal.