The effect of human amniotic epithelial cells on urethral stricture fibroblasts

Background: Urethral stricture disease (USD) is effectively managed by buccal mucosa (BM) urethroplasty. Lack of adequate healthy BM has led to the use of autologous tissue-engineered BM grafts. Such grafts are costly, not easily scalable and recurrence of the stricture is still a problem. Hence, there is a requirement for cost-effective, scalable cells with innate antifibrotic properties which seem to be fulfilled by human amniotic epithelial cells (HAMECs). The effect of HAMECs on USD is unknown.

Aim: To study the effect of HAMECs-CM on human urethral stricture fibroblast (USF) cells by using in-vitro migration assay and molecular techniques.

Materials and methods: USF cells were derived from six patients undergoing urethroplasty. HAMECs were derived from one placenta after delivery. The effect of HAMECs-CM on USF cell migration was observed using a standard in vitro scratch assay over a period of 3 days. The effect of HAMECs-CM on the expression levels of markers alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) in USF cells was also examined.

Results: The HAMECs-CM suppressed the migration of USF cells in in vitro scratch assay. The HAMECs-CM consistently downregulated α-SMA, but not TIMP-1.

Conclusions: HAMECs have shown antifibrotic activity on USF cells in this in vitro study.

Relevance for patients: HAMECs could serve as an alternative cell source for tissue-engineered urethroplasty.