ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently investigated for their potential use in regenerative medicine. MSCs, in particular, have great potential, as in various reports they have shown pluripotency for differentiating into many different cell types. However, the ability of MSCs to differentiate into tendon cells in vitro has not been fully investigated. RESULTS: In this study, we show that equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), defined by their expression of markers such as Oct4, Sox-2 and Nanog, have the capability to differentiate in tenocytes. These differentiated cells express tendon-related markers including tenomodulin and decorin. Moreover we show that the same BM-MSCs can differentiate in osteocytes, as confirmed by alkaline phosphatase and von Kossa staining. CONCLUSION: As MSCs represent an attractive tool for tendon tissue repair strategies, our data suggest that bone marrow should be considered the preferred MSC source for therapeutic approaches.
Subject(s)
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/pharmacology , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , Tendons/cytology , Animals , Biomarkers/metabolism , Bone Marrow Cells/cytology , Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/metabolism , Cell Differentiation , Decorin , Embryonic Stem Cells/metabolism , Extracellular Matrix Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation , Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism , Horses , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Octamer Transcription Factor-3/metabolism , Proteoglycans/metabolism , SOXB1 Transcription Factors/metabolismABSTRACT
The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between pre-mating nutrition and the relative amounts of a panel of developmentally relevant genes in ovine oocytes and granulosa cells. Cast age ewes were fed a ration providing 0.5x (0.5 M) or 1.5x (1.5 M) live weight maintenance requirements for 2 weeks before slaughter. The ewes were synchronized and superovulated with FSH and pregnant mares serum gonadotropin. At slaughter, oocytes and granulosa cells were aspirated from follicles >2 mm in diameter and the relative abundance of 8 and 17 transcripts in oocytes and granulosa cells respectively were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. In the oocytes, no differences between groups were observed for five transcripts (GDF9, BMP15, c-kit, glucose transporter 1 (SLC2A1), and hexokinase 1), but a lower amount of glucose transporter 3 (SLC2A3), sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SLC5A1), and Na(+)/K(+) ATPase mRNAs was detected in the 0.5 M group. Increased expression of PTGS2, HAS2, and the leptin receptor long form was observed in granulosa cells from the 0.5 M group. No differences between groups were observed for the other transcripts (early growth response factor-1, estrogen receptor-alpha, LH and FSH receptors, gremlin 1, pentraxin 3, KIT ligand, glucose transporters 1, 3, and 8, IGF1, IGF1 receptor, leptin receptor, and tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6). Expression of leptin and sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 was not detected in both groups. The present data indicate that pre-mating nutrition is associated with alteration in the mRNA content in oocytes and surrounding follicle cells in ewes, which may account for the reduced reproductive performance typical of ewes that are fed a restricted ration for a short period of time before mating.
