Quality and quantity culture effectively restores functional and proliferative capacities of endothelial progenitor cell in end-stage renal disease patients

• Main Authors: Tien-Hung Huang, Mel S. Lee, Pei-Hsun Sung, Yi-Ling Chen, John Y. Chiang, Chih-Chao Yang, Jiunn-Jye Sheu, Hon-Kan Yip
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-05-01
• Series: Stem Cell Research
• Subjects: Quality and quantity culture; End-stage renal disease; Endothelial progenitor cells; Angiogenesis; Anti-inflammation
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873506121001100

Background: Endothelial cell dysfunction plays the crucial role in initiation and propagation of obstructive arteriosclerosis which ultimately causes arterial obstructive syndrome. Additionally, severe endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) dysfunction is always found in those of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. This study tested the hypothesis that a novel method, named “quality and quantity (QQ) culture”, could successfully improve the EPC proliferation and function in ESRD patients. Materials and methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) were isolated from age-matched control subjects (i.e., normal renal function) (group 1) and ESRD patients (group 2), followed by culture in either conventional EPC culture for one month or in QQ culture for 7 days, respectively. The result showed that as compared to the conventional EPC culture method, the EPC population and M2-like population/ratio (M2/M1) were significantly enriched in QQ culture both in groups 1 and 2 (all p < 0.001), but these parameters did not differ between the groups. As compared with conventional EPC culture, the angiogenesis capacity and colony formation were significantly increased in QQ culture (all p < 0.001), but they showed no difference between groups 1 and 2. In RAW264.7 macrophages treated by liposaccharide, the gene expressions and ELISA findings of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β/IL-6/TGF-β) and inflammatory mediator (iNOS) were significantly reduced in QQ culture than in conventional EPC culture in groups 1 and 2 (all p < 0.001), but they showed no difference between the groups. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that QQ culture enhanced number, proliferation, and angiogenesis of EPCs and anti-inflammatory capacity in ESRD patients.