Diabetic impairment of C-kit bone marrow stem cells involves the disorders of inflammatory factors, cell adhesion and extracellular matrix molecules

PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e25543. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025543. Epub 2011 Oct 3.

Abstract

Bone marrow stem cells from diabetes mellitus patients exhibit functional impairment, but the relative molecular mechanisms responsible for this impairment are poorly understood. We investigated the mechanisms responsible for diabetes-related functional impairment of bone marrow stem cells by extensively screening the expression levels of inflammatory factors, cell cycle regulating molecules, extracellular matrix molecules and adhesion molecules. Bone marrow cells were collected from type 2 diabetic (db/db) and healthy control (db/m+) mice, and c-kit+ stem cells were purified (purity>85%) for experiments. Compared with the healthy control mice, diabetic mice had significantly fewer c-kit+ stem cells, and these cells had a lower potency of endothelial differentiation; however, the production of the angiogenic growth factor VEGF did not differ between groups. A pathway-focused array showed that the c-kit+ stem cells from diabetic mice had up-regulated expression levels of many inflammatory factors, including Tlr4, Cxcl9, Il9, Tgfb1, Il4, and Tnfsf5, but no obvious change in the expression levels of cell cycle molecules. Interestingly, diabetes-related alterations of the extracellular matrix and adhesion molecules were varied; Pecam, Mmp10, Lamc1, Itgb7, Mmp9, and Timp4 were up-regulated, but Col11a1, Fn1, Admts2, and Itgav were down-regulated. Some of these changes were also confirmed at the protein level by flow cytometry analysis. In conclusion, c-kit+ bone marrow stem cells from diabetic mice exhibited an extensive enhancement of inflammatory factors and disorders of the extracellular matrix and adhesion molecules. Further intervention studies are required to determine the precise role of each molecule in the diabetes-related functional impairment of c-kit+ bone marrow stem cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Cells / pathology*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules / metabolism*
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus / pathology*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / genetics
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Health
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / genetics
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Stem Cells / pathology
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit