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Exosomes Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Proliferation of Allogeneic Endometrial Stromal Cells

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Abstract

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) have been proposed as an ideal source for cell-based therapy to promote endometrial repair and regeneration. Furthermore, increasing evidence has indicated that UCMSC-derived exosomes (UCMSC-exos) act as important paracrine mediators to recapitulate the features of MSCs and may play a vital role in this process. UCMSCs and human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) were isolated and characterized. ESCs were cocultured with UCMSCs and further assessed by flow cytometry and EdU incorporation assays. UCMSC-exos were extracted by differential ultracentrifugation and identified by western blots, transmission electron microscopy, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The internalization of UCMSC-exos by ESCs was observed under a confocal microscope. ESCs were treated with UCMSC-exos at different concentrations and for different durations, with cell viability evaluated by CCK-8 assays. The cell cycle analysis showed that the percentage of ESCs in S phase significantly increased after coculture with UCMSCs, whereas it significantly decreased after inhibition of UCMSC-exo secretions. EdU incorporation assays also showed a similar trend. The isolated UCMSC-exos had a typical cup-shaped morphology with a monolayer membrane, expressed the specific exosomal markers Alix, CD63, and TSG101 and were approximately 60 to 200 nm in diameter. The PKH26-labeled UCMSC-exos were incorporated into ESCs. Moreover, UCMSC-exos enhanced the cell growth and viability of ESCs in a dose-dependent manner, and the effects occurred in a short period of time. UCMSC-exos promote the proliferation of ESCs in a dose-dependent manner; thus, they could be used as a potential treatment to promote endometrial repair.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1004803) and the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81801403), and was supported by Capital Medical University (1192070309) and Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University (FCYY201823).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Center, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Cheng-Xiao Lv, Hua Duan, Sha Wang, Lu Gan & Qian Xu

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  1. Cheng-Xiao Lv
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  2. Hua Duan
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  3. Sha Wang
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  4. Lu Gan
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  5. Qian Xu
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Contributions

Cheng-Xiao Lv conceived, drafted, and revised the article, carried out the experiments, and performed the statistical analysis; Hua Duan participated in the study design and revision; Sha Wang, Lu Gan and Qian Xu participated in patient recruitment and sample collection. All authors approved the final version of the article.

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Correspondence to Hua Duan.

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Lv, CX., Duan, H., Wang, S. et al. Exosomes Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Proliferation of Allogeneic Endometrial Stromal Cells. Reprod. Sci. 27, 1372–1381 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-020-00165-y

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