title: Stromal cells cultured from omentum express pluripotent markers, produce high amounts of VEGF, and engraft to injured sites.
abstract: When rat omentum becomes activated by intraperitoneal injection of inert polydextran particles, these particles are rapidly surrounded by cells that express markers of adult stem cells (SDF-1alpha, CXCR4, WT-1) and of embryonic pluripotent cells (Oct-4, Nanog, SSEA-1). We have cultured such cells, because they may offer a convenient source of adult stem cells, and have found that they retain stem cell markers and produce high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor for up to ten passages. After systemic or local injection of these cultured cells into rats with acute injury of various organs, the cells specifically engraft at the injured sites. Thus, our experiments show that omental stromal cells can be cultured from activated omentum, and that these cells exhibit stem cell properties enabling them to be used for repair and possibly for the regeneration of damaged tissues.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Nephrology, John Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USA. singhashok@comcast.net
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Jilpa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Natalia O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Litbarg
authors.forename: Krishnamurthy P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gudehithlu
authors.forename: Perianna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sethupathi
authors.forename: Jose A L
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dunea
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000378:metabolism; D003911:Dextrans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D009852:Omentum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; C486264:Cxcr4 protein, rat; D003911:Dextrans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D025721:WT1 Proteins; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat