Objective: To investigate the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and stemness of esophageal cancer EC1 cells. Methods: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured in vitro, and cell phenotype was identified by flow cytometry. MSCs or their conditioned medium were co-cultured with esophageal cancer EC1 cells. The effects on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and stemness of EC1 cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, Transwell, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and spheroid formation assays. Results: MSCs inhibited the proliferation of EC1 cells in a concentration dependent manner. When the ratio of MSCs to EC1 cells was 0∶1, 1∶1, 2∶1, 5∶1, the apoptotic rates of EC1 cells were (4.07±0.34)%, (8.90±0.36)%, (10.80±0.50)% and (15.23±1.06)%, respectively, suggesting that MSCs promoted the apoptosis of EC1 cells in a concentration dependent manner (all P<0.05). The expression levels of OCT2, SOX2, KLF4, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in EC1 cells cultured in 80% conditioned medium were 0.53±0.03, 0.49±0.02, 0.73±0.09, 0.57±0.05 and 0.24±0.02, respectively, which were lower than those in the regular medium group (all P<0.05). The numbers of migrated cells in regular medium as well as 10%, 40%, and 80% conditioned medium were 287.3±21.6, 280.7±15.5, 264.3±16.8, and 257.7±8.0, respectively. Meanwhile, the numbers of invasive cells were 194.3±16.6, 213.7±24.3, 221.0±16.0, (252.0±20.4), respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can inhibit the proliferation, promote apoptosis and reduce the stemness, and have no significant effect on the migration and invasion of EC1 cells.
目的： 探讨人脐带间充质干细胞(MSCs)对食管癌EC1细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移、侵袭以及干性的影响。 方法： 体外分离培养人脐带MSCs，采用流式细胞术鉴定细胞表型。将MSCs或其条件培养基与食管癌EC1细胞共培养，分别采用细胞计数试剂盒8(CCK－8)法、流式细胞术、Transwell小室实验、实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应(RT－qPCR)和成球实验检测MSCs或其条件培养基对EC1细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移、侵袭以及干性的影响。 结果： MSCs抑制食管癌EC1细胞增殖且有浓度依赖性。MSCs和EC1细胞之比为0∶1、1∶1、2∶1、5∶1共培养的EC1细胞，凋亡率分别为(4.07±0.34)%、(8.90±0.36)%、(10.80±0.50)%和(15.23±1.06)%，差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)，且呈剂量－效应关系。80%条件培养基培养的EC1细胞中，有机阳离子转运体2(organic cation transporter 2, OCT2)、性别决定区Y框蛋白2(sex determining region Y－box2, SOX2)、Kruppel样转录因子4(Kruppel－like factor 4, KLF4)、CXC趋化因子受体4(CXC chemokine receptor 4, CXCR4)和CXCR7基因表达量分别为0.53±0.03、0.49±0.02、0.73±0.09、0.57±0.05和0.24±0.02，均低于普通培养基对照组(均P<0.05)。普通培养基和10%、40%、80%的条件培养基培养的细胞，迁移细胞数分别为(287.3±21.6)、(280.7±15.5)、(264.3±16.8)、(257.7±8.0)个，侵袭细胞数分别为(194.3±16.6)、(213.7±24.3)、(221.0±16.0)、(252.0±20.4)个，组间差异均无统计学意义(均P>0.05)。 结论： 人脐带MSCs可抑制食管癌EC1细胞增殖，促进其凋亡，降低其干性，对EC1细胞的迁移和侵袭无明显影响。.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Esophageal neoplasms; Mesenchymal stem cells; Proliferation; Stemness.