Wound infiltrating adipocytes are not myofibroblasts.

The origins of wound myofibroblasts and scar tissue remains unclear, but it is assumed to involve conversion of adipocytes into myofibroblasts. Here, we directly explore the potential plasticity of adipocytes and fibroblasts after skin injury. Using genetic lineage tracing and live imaging in explants and in wounded animals, we observe that injury induces a transient migratory state in adipocytes with vastly distinct cell migration patterns and behaviours from fibroblasts. Furthermore, migratory adipocytes, do not contribute to scar formation and remain non-fibrogenic in vitro, in vivo and upon transplantation into wounds in animals. Using single-cell and bulk transcriptomics we confirm that wound adipocytes do not convert into fibrogenic myofibroblasts. In summary, the injury-induced migratory adipocytes remain lineage-restricted and do not converge or reprogram into a fibrosing phenotype. These findings broadly impact basic and translational strategies in the regenerative medicine field, including clinical interventions for wound repair, diabetes, and fibrotic pathologies.

Role of Pericytes in the Development of the Renin/Angiotensin System: Induction of Functional Renin in Cultures of Pericytes.

Renal pericytes have a critical importance for angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, medullary blood flow regulation, and development of fibrosis. An emerging role for kidney pericytes is their ability to induce renin expression and synthesis. Here, we present methods for purification of human renal pericytes, their primary culture, and differentiation into renin-producing cells. Possible applications of these protocols include investigations into (1) renin cell recruitment mechanisms, (2) modulation of renin expression/secretion by small molecules, and (3) renin expression/secretion in nonrenal pericytes. A potential therapeutic application of this work is the identification of new players regulating the renin-angiotensin system.

Two succeeding fibroblastic lineages drive dermal development and the transition from regeneration to scarring.

During fetal development, mammalian back-skin undergoes a natural transition in response to injury, from scarless regeneration to skin scarring. Here, we characterize dermal morphogenesis and follow two distinct embryonic fibroblast lineages, based on their history of expression of the engrailed 1 gene. We use single-cell fate-mapping, live three dimensional confocal imaging and in silico analysis coupled with immunolabelling to reveal unanticipated structural and regional complexity and dynamics within the dermis. We show that dermal development and regeneration are driven by engrailed 1-history-naive fibroblasts, whose numbers subsequently decline. Conversely, engrailed 1-history-positive fibroblasts possess scarring abilities at this early stage and their expansion later on drives scar emergence. The transition can be reversed, locally, by transplanting engrailed 1-naive cells. Thus, fibroblastic lineage replacement couples the decline of regeneration with the emergence of scarring and creates potential clinical avenues to reduce scarring.

Localized hepatic lobular regeneration by central-vein-associated lineage-restricted progenitors.

The regeneration of organ morphology and function following tissue loss is critical to restore normal physiology, yet few cases are documented in mammalian postnatal life. Partial hepatectomy of the adult mammalian liver activates compensatory hepatocyte hypertrophy and cell division across remaining lobes, resulting in restitution of organ mass but with permanent alteration of architecture. Here, we identify a time window in early postnatal life wherein partial amputation culminates in a localized regeneration instead of global hypertrophy and proliferation. Quantifications of liver mass, enzymatic activity, and immunohistochemistry demonstrate that damaged lobes underwent multilineage regeneration, reforming a lobe often indistinguishable from undamaged ones. Clonal analysis during regeneration reveals local clonal expansions of hepatocyte stem/progenitors at injured sites that are lineage but not fate restricted. Tetrachimeric mice show clonal selection occurs during development with further selections following injury. Surviving progenitors associate mainly with central veins, in a pattern of selection different from that of normal development. These results illuminate a previously unknown program of liver regeneration after acute injury and allow for exploration of latent regenerative programs with potential applications to adult liver regeneration.

Human kidney pericytes produce renin.

Pericytes, perivascular cells embedded in the microvascular wall, are crucial for vascular homeostasis. These cells also play diverse roles in tissue development and regeneration as multi-lineage progenitors, immunomodulatory cells and as sources of trophic factors. Here, we establish that pericytes are renin producing cells in the human kidney. Renin was localized by immunohistochemistry in CD146 and NG2 expressing pericytes, surrounding juxtaglomerular and afferent arterioles. Similar to pericytes from other organs, CD146+CD34-CD45-CD56- renal fetal pericytes, sorted by flow cytometry, exhibited tri-lineage mesodermal differentiation potential in vitro. Additionally, renin expression was triggered in cultured kidney pericytes by cyclic AMP as confirmed by immuno-electron microscopy, and secretion of enzymatically functional renin, capable of generating angiotensin I. Pericytes derived from second trimester human placenta also expressed renin in an inducible fashion although the renin activity was much lower than in renal pericytes. Thus, our results confirm and extend the recently discovered developmental plasticity of microvascular pericytes, and may open new perspectives to the therapeutic regulation of the renin-angiotensin system.

Cells of renin lineage express hypoxia inducible factor 2α following experimental ureteral obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that mural cells of the preglomerular vessels, known as cells of renin lineage (CoRL), contribute to repair and regeneration of injured kidney glomeruli. However, their potential roles in tubulointerstitial disease are less understood. The aim of this study was to better understand CoRL number and distribution following UUO so that future mechanistic studies could be undertaken. METHODS: We mapped the fate of CoRL in adult Ren1cCreER x Rs-tdTomato-R reporter mice that underwent UUO. Kidney biopsies from sham and UUO-subjected mice on days 3, 7, and 14 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In sham animals, CoRL were restricted to juxtaglomerular location. At day 7 following UUO, CoRL increased two-fold, were perivascular in location, and co-expressed pericyte markers (PDGFßR, NG2), but did not express renin. At day 14 post UUO, labeled CoRL detached from vessels and were present in the interstitium, in areas of fibrosis, where they now expressed the myofibroblast marker alpha-smooth muscle actin. The increase in CoRL was likely due to proliferation as marked by BrdU labeling, and migration from the cortex. Following UUO starting from day 3, active hypoxia inducible factor-2α was detected in nuclei in labeled CoRL, in the cortex, but not those cells found in medulla. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that arteriolar CoRL are potential kidney progenitors that may contribute to the initial vascular regeneration. However, in chronic kidney injury (≥14 days post UUO), perivascular CoRL transition to myofibroblast-like cells.

Interstitial pericytes decrease in aged mouse kidneys.

With increasing age, the kidney undergoes characteristic changes in the glomerular and tubulo-interstitial compartments, which are ultimately accompanied by reduced kidney function. Studies have shown age-related loss of peritubular vessels. Normal peritubular vessel tone, function and survival depend on neighboring pericytes. Pericyte detachment leads to vascular damage, which can be accompanied by their differentiation to fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, a state that favors matrix production. To better understand the fate of pericytes in the aged kidney, 27 month-old mice were studied. Compared to 3 month-old young adult mice, aged kidneys showed a substantial decrease in capillaries, identified by CD31 staining, in both cortex and medulla. This was accompanied by a marked decrease in surrounding NG2+ / PDGFRß+ pericytes. This decrease was more pronounced in the medulla. Capillaries devoid of pericytes were typically dilated in aged mice. Aged kidneys were also characterized by interstitial fibrosis due to increased collagen-I and -III staining. This was accompanied by an increase in the number of pericytes that acquired a pro-fibrotic phenotype, identified by increased PDGFRß+ / αSMA+ staining. These findings are consistent with the decline in kidney interstitial pericytes as a critical step in the development of changes to the peritubular vasculature with aging, and accompanying fibrosis.

Changes in glomerular parietal epithelial cells in mouse kidneys with advanced age.

Kidney aging is accompanied by characteristic changes in the glomerulus, but little is known about the effect of aging on glomerular parietal epithelial cells (PECs), nor if the characteristic glomerular changes in humans and rats also occur in very old mice. Accordingly, a descriptive analysis was undertaken in 27-mo-old C57B6 mice, considered advanced age. PEC density was significantly lower in older mice compared with young mice (aged 3 mo), and the decrease was more pronounced in juxtamedullary glomeruli compared with outer cortical glomeruli. In addition to segmental and global glomerulosclerosis in older mice, staining for matrix proteins collagen type IV and heparan sulfate proteoglycan were markedly increased in Bowman's capsules of older mouse glomeruli, consistent with increased extracellular matrix production by PECs. De novo staining for CD44, a marker of activated and profibrotic PECs, was significantly increased in aged glomeruli. CD44 staining was more pronounced in the juxtamedullary region and colocalized with phosphorylated ERK. Additionally, a subset of aged PECs de novo expressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers α-smooth muscle and vimentin, with no changes in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers E-cadherin and ß-catenin. The mural cell markers neural/glial antigen 2, PDGF receptor-ß, and CD146 as well as Notch 3 were also substantially increased in aged PECs. These data show that mice can be used to better understand the aging kidney and that PECs undergo substantial changes, especially in juxtamedullary glomeruli, that may participate in the overall decline in glomerular structure and function with advancing age.

Renal pericytes: multifunctional cells of the kidneys.

Pericytes have become a hot topic in renal biology. They play a critical physiological role in vessel development, maintenance and remodelling through active communication with their vascular partners-endothelial cells-and modulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Multiple functions for renal pericytes have been described; specialised perivascular populations participate in glomerular filtration, regulate medullary blood flow and contribute to kidney fibrosis by differentiation into collagen-generating myofibroblasts. Interestingly, the origin of renin-producing cells of the juxtaglomerular region is attributed to the perivascular cell lineage; we have observed the coincidence of renin and pericyte marker expression during human kidney development. Finally, pericytes have been shown to share features with mesenchymal stem cells, which places them as potential renal progenitor cell candidates. Since renal diseases are often associated with microvascular complications, renal pericytes may emerge as new targets for the treatment of kidney disease.