Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Rat Islet Angiogenesis by Upregulating of ISL1 and VEGF-A
1Department of Renal Transplantation, Nephropathy Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China, 2Department of Renal Transplantation, Nephropathy Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: B-360
Keywords: Endothelial cells, Graft survival, Growth factors, Insulin
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session B: Islet cell and cell Transplantation
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: Islet transplantation is an important therapy to cure diabetes, but poor angiogenesis in the early stage of islet transplantation is one of the main obstacles to its clinical application. Several studies have confirmed that co-transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and islets can improve the angiogenesis during the early stage after transplantation, but the mechanism remaining further characterized. Insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL1) is an important transcription factor that activates vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and plays a vital role in angiogenesis. The aim of this study is to illuminate the effects of ISL1 on angiogenesis in islets co-cultured with BMSCs.
*Methods: Primary islet cells isolated from Lewis rats and rat β cell line (INS-1) were co-cultured with BMSCs for 48 hours respectively, and then the islet function was detected by insulin releasing test. Viability of islets was assessed using fluorescein diacetate and PI staining. The apoptosis assay of islets was performed by flow cytometry. Western blot, RT-PCR and immunofluorescence were enrolled to examine the mRNA and protein expression of ISL1 and VEGF-A of primary islet cells and INS-1 cells in co-culture and non-co-culture groups.
*Results: Co-culture of rat islet cells with BMSCs could improve rat survival rate and maintain glucose-induced insulin secretion. Though BMSCs couldn’t improve the loss of intraislet endothelial cells in early islet cells, it could reduce the early apoptosis rate of islet cells. Importantly, co-culture with BMSCs provoked both the mRNA and protein expressions of ISL1 and induced the secretion of VEGF-A in islet cells and INS-1 cells.
*Conclusions: Our data proved that co-culture with BMSCs could induce the transcription of VEGF-A might through eliciting the expression of ISL1 in islets, which promote the angiogenesis of intraislet endothelial cells and ultimately ameliorate ischemia and hypoxia to improve the graft’s activity and survival rate.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Wang Y, Wang J, Ding X. Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Rat Islet Angiogenesis by Upregulating of ISL1 and VEGF-A [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/bone-marrow-mesenchymal-stem-cells-improve-rat-islet-angiogenesis-by-upregulating-of-isl1-and-vegf-a/. Accessed May 29, 2025.« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress